Like Moths to the Light
by VesperChan
Summary: When Sakura overhears her friends doubting her stregnth as a ninja she's pushed over the edge. She used to be a bright and shining sun but now she's a shadow in the shade. She used to be a butterfly but now she is a moth Sakuracentric fic
1. pains of the heart

A/N: This is the first chapter if my newest fic, I hope you all enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I did not will not and do not own Naruto.

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**Chapter one Pains of the Heart**

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_The lower east side is a jukebox playing the dead man's crescendo  
The needle is a vector  
An intersection that we all must cross  
A dimly lit hallway where shadows of moths decorate the walls  
_

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"Another day another pain." She though bitterly to herself.

The door closed with a soft click as a figure with pale porcine skin stepping into the dark empty room that screamed 'despair'. The only light came from the first golden rays of sunlight peeking through her heavy gray curtains. Aside from that small sliver of luminosity the small barren room was void of any light what so ever. Not only was the small apartment in desperate lack of light it was in grave need of some color aside from the grays and blacks. But she liked gray and black so she did not change it.

The pale slender girl that had entered the room moved to the counter and struck a match lighting a scented candle. She hated using the electric lights, they seemed to cold and evil to her and so she only used them when she was too busy to light a candle. The small orange flame flickered hypnotically dancing away the darkness while illuminating her slender figure and emotionless face. Her brilliant dark forest green eyes were half framed by dark long lashes curled like the tips of a butterfly's wings.

Her soft pink colored lips cracked slightly and rare smile as the welcoming scent of the candle surrounded her. Sakura's cropped pink locks hung limply around her face. In the stressfulness of the past few months she rarely felt this calm. But the serenity was short lived as memories of her daily meeting with the Hokage came flooding back to her clouded mind.

Another thing that wasn't working in her life. Day after day she would come to the Hokage requesting a solo mission yet all she received in reply was a simple _'I'm sorry Sakura we don't have anything at the moment. Once something comes in I'll let you know." _

How many damn times had she heard that line before?! She hated hearing it roll of her sensei's lips time after time! The only time she didn't hear it was when she went on a simple B or lower rank mission mocking her increased skill or when she went with her team, and that certainly wasn't solo.

Not to get her wrong, Sakura loved her team to death but She needed to be alone now and then. On top of that their performance around her seemed odd in her eyes. She didn't know when it started but it was happening now and she didn't like it.

For example, when ever she was with them, weather it be training, relaxing, or going to grab a bowl of ramen they seemed to all be on edge. When one of them tread to close to her the other two would show signs of irritation. The three of the clearly held back during training so that she wouldn't strain herself as the so kindly put it. _"Strain my ass they were holding back on purpose!"_

Sakura remembered there was the one time Naruto went with Jiraiya on a short escort mission not too long ago. Only lasting a week, but when he came back he glomped her excitably. Now this wasn't unlike Naruto, oh no. This was exactly like Naruto though a bit exaggerated. What surprised her was that Sai and Kakashi had pried him off her and continued to beat him to a bloody pulp. "Right after saying how much they missed him too." She mused quietly completely missing the point behind their words.

Then there was the time Kakashi had offered to train her a little one on one without the boys. She had readily excepted thrilled to have some private training. Later that day he showed her a few simple juj-taijutsu moves (throws and holds) she could use on an attacker without killing them or hurting them too badly. It was going nicely until Sai and Naruto showed up only to chase Kakashi around the lake and all over the village after seeing her in a complex arm hold he was teaching her.(just a bit to close to her breasts for their liking) After that the two boys had made it a rule, no privet training with Kakashi perv- er sensei.

And of course there was the time Naruto and Kakashi had found Sai's sketch book lying around and decided to look through it. Poor Sai, when she found him he was beaten so badly he could barley walk. She never did find out what was in his sketch book since Naruto and Kakashi burned it, refusing to tell her anything about it. The next day after Sai had be healed by her chakra enhanced hands Naruto and Kakashi wouldn't let him even look at her by forming a protective wall around the only female member of their cell.

She sighed running a long slender hand through her cropped dawn tinted tresses deciding to just let it go. She'd think about it later. Her eyes were heavy from lack of sleep though she refused to drift completely into unconsciousness, it's not like she could if she wanted to. She couldn't sleep. Ever since that one incident in the forest her sleep was taken from her replaced with fatigue, despite her silent longings her dreams continued to escape her grasp time after time.

By now she should have gone insane and most likely would have if the Kazekage hadn't taught her meditation when she was in Suna on a long term mission to train their few medic nins. After hearing about her problem Gaara had offered to teach her the tricks he used when he still had the One-Tailed Shukaku trapped within his mind. Most likely as payback for helping save him when he was kidnapped from the Akatsuki.

During their little training sessions that continued mostly for the company since she mastered meditation a long ago the two had grown close. Though not many would believe (and even fewer guess) Gaara had a deep interest in philosophy as well as a love for the topic and enjoyed sharing his thoughts on this subject with Sakura as they discussed the meaning of life and other similar things.

She stared down at her hand again after freeing it from the tangle of messy locks. She had spent a whole night up again and her body needed a few short hours of meditation before she headed out for training. She still had a while before she would be in desperate need of meditation and with a bit coffee she would be good for the rest of the day.

It was still early but she decided to head over to the Hokage tower and see Tsunade about a mission. Grabbing her coffee she sipped the dark liquid that was now a soft brown thanks to the cream letting it warm her cold hallow throat. Soon she could feel the effects of the caffeine working it's way through her body, sending warm shivers up and down her spine. Licking any remaining traces of the dark liquids off her lips she set her mug down and headed into her bed room to change, only to emerge a few short minuets later.

She adjusted her dark red tank top hiding a second layer of black and slipped into a pair of tall black sandals with a slight heel to them. She adjusted her kunai holster over her black biker shorts and let her silted red skirt fall over it. Making sure her tan colored elbow guards were in place she headed out the door stopping only to lock it.

The sun was well on it's way ascending the early morning sky surrounded by a few dark clouds that threatened to shower the earth below with it's tears, but for the most part it was sunny. The quiet rose hair girl smiled at the crimson kissed sky before continuing on her way. Sakura hummed a bit to herself making her way down the street. She never got up this early and when she did she usually spent her time resting or just relaxing. She wasn't a big morning person leaning towards turning nocturnal since she stayed up all night most of the time.

Approaching the Hokage tower a mischievous grin spread across her face. The Hokage knew she never got up the early and probably wasn't expecting her. This was a perfect opportunity to surprise her.

'She'll never know what hit her," she snickered sinisterly masking her chakra and sneaking pass the guards with ease. For the past three years she practically lived here so it was easy for her.

Her graceful figure passed with the silence of a shadow making it's way through the maze of hallways towards the Hokage's office. A few minuets later she stood in front of the tall wooden door ready to jump forward when a noise from inside stopped her.

"Kakashi?" She though as he heard his voice formally address the Hokage, shockingly. But what really surprised her was what he said.

"Are you sure Sakura won't find out about this?" Asked the grey haired Jonin.

"I'm positive, as long as none of you told her that is. She's too much of a night owl to be up this early." Tsunade replied grumpily.

They were talking about here! And not only were they talking about her, they were talking about how they didn't want her find out about whatever they were doing. Growling silently she slipped up against the wall and pressed her ear up to the cold substance to increase her hearing.

"I still don't know why you don't want my apprentice finding out about this. She is after all part of your team and deserves to take part of this mission." Tsunade said staring the conversation up again. Sakura smiled towards the female Hokage.

"True she has excelled under your training in strength as well as medical jutsus but, despite how much she's grown she hasn't grown enough. I sincerely doubt she could hold her own in a battle this tough. If we took her on this mission she would just be a dead weight and slow us down. She's still not mature or emotionlessly strong for a mission like this. She's a better use to you here, not on this mission."

Sakura's heart felt like it had left her breath jumping to her throat choking the breath out of her essence. How could he say something like that? Didn't he see how much she has grown over the past two and a half years? Didn't he see her training her butt off every single day, pushing herself to her limit?! He was her sensei, for the love of Pocky! He should know better than anyone else that she wasn't the same weak twelve year old Kunoichi she once was.

"I disagree Kakashi. She has truly blossomed into a strong able body kunoichi fully capable of taking on such a mission. Don't forget you need a medic nin and Sakura is the best of the best next to myself. Not only that but she has perfect chakra control and an unrivaled strength most men would kill to have. " Replied the Gondaime stating firmly before turning her voice towards the two boys. "What do the rest of you have to say? Naruto, Sai?"

'Naruto and Sai are there as well? Please guys pull through for me just this once. Please believe in me.' She though desperately clutching the fabric of her shirt right above her heart. 'Believe in me.'

"…I…agree with Kakashi sensei. True Sakura has improved but she's still a deadweight compared to the rest of us at this point. Also this mission would require us to control our emotions since we'll be under intense pressure. I don't think she would be able to do that. She's too emotional she overreacts and she dramatizes everything She is wounded and injured too easily by enemies and wastes chakra on things normal people wouldn't. To put it bluntly, she dose not meet the requirements for this mission."

Sakura's heart dropped in despair. Her breathing became horse with disgust. 'How could he? How could he ignore how much she had grown? How could he just act like all her strength wasn't there? How could he call her a deadweight? How could he not believe in her?' She thought angrily loosing all respect for the artist.

"I see… Naruto, what about you? You've been quiet this whole time, what are your thoughts on the matter?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura's despair lifted for a moment in hope. If anyone were to stick up for her it would be Naruto. No one was closer to her than the golden haired fox carrier, not even Ino despite their strong friendship. If there was ever a person to believe in her it would be him.

"Hokage sama…" he began causing her to frown. He never called her that unless he was really serious. "I'm truly and honestly sorry but…I also agree with Sai and Kakashi sensei. Sakura is a truly strong able body kunoichi that has grown tremendously under your training but…she hasn't grown enough for this mission. She would just hold us back, she's just be a dead weight. She's an excellent medic that's true but considering the pressure we'll be put under on this mission I don't think she could handle it. She's too frail and innocent for a mission like this. An S rank infiltration mission is still too much for her."

If she felt like her heart dropped before when she head Kakashi and Sai it was gone now. How could he…he…him of all people? Sure she could understand, grudgingly, after a while that Kakashi and Sai though she was weak but Naruto? Her best friend? Her teammate? Was it really him? No I couldn't be! This wasn't real, this wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening! The wouldn't do this to her!

No…

No.

No!

NO!

She felt like lying down and rotting away into the wind she was so crushed. If there was ever a time she felt like dying it was now. They had all said it, they had all called her it. A deadweight.

Tears threatened to pour from her eyes but she held them back. 'Please God, someone wake me up from this nightmare.' She prayed knowing no one would, after all…she didn't sleep. Unable to take anymore she bolted from her spot outside the door running with the speed and swiftness that only comes when one's heart is in flames, blazing, burning, dying, away.

She ran through the streets blindly having the elaborate passageways of her hometown burned into her mind ignoring the dark skies and the rumble of thunder as a few drops of rain trickled down from the sky barley touching her. The heavens seemed to be almost weeping for her sorrow.

Stumbling a little she flew into her apartment room falling down onto the floor face first while slamming her fist at the light switch turning on the lights. Her damp hair falling around her head in a dark rose colored halo. She didn't cry, she refused to cry. Crying was a sign of weakness no matter what anyone said. She wouldn't cry. She wasn't weak.

A growl of anger slipped past her parted full lips. If they couldn't see how strong she was she would make them see. She wouldn't stop until there was no way they could possibly call her weak. She wouldn't be a deadweight, she wouldn't.

Crying out in frustration she smashed her fists against the cold cement floor without chakra until they bleed, rubbed raw. Her hands were stained crimson but she didn't stop as she continued to beat the overly abused floor. Soon the substance began to crack. Even then she didn't stop. Evan after the cracks turning into a crater she didn't stop. No on would hear and complain since she lived in the basement past of the apartment.

Finally she stopped, leaning back to look over her work. She shakily pulled a hand up to her face to view it. It was disgustingly beaten with skin gone and blood now cascading down her wrists. The crater in the floor acted like a basin as blood began to trickle down pooling at it's bottom. She sat staring at the dark substance as if in a trance. It was so dark, almost black, her blood. Her blood, the blood of one so 'fragile' as Naruto put it. "Ga…"

Soon the blood began to move upward in the air taking on a defiant shape. At first it looked like a butterfly but the shape of the wings and the long furry antenna conferment that the shape was a moth. It's black and silver wings poking through the blood before it took flight only to land on her nose. It's furry antenna tickling her face earning a soft chuckle.

If she had been anyone else she would have been sprawled out on the flood having a seizure from the moth's poison. Yes the moth resting delicately on her nose was highly poisonous as were most other moths, though this one's effects were a bit more deadly than a numbing sensation or a sleep stimulation that most carried.

With a weary smile she lifted her slender hand up to her nose offering the poisonous insect a better perch than her nose. The winged insect happily flapped it's wings and transferred perches as a pair of hallow green eyes watched with amusement. It was funny how so many people would mistaken a moth for a butterfly since the only classification between the two was that a butterfly was beautiful where as a moth was plain and ugly. What fools! True that many moths came in shades of brown and gray, but there were many others that were truly breathtaking with brilliant blue or green wings, or others with thin swallowtails in a pale pastel color. Butterflies were beautiful true, but that was it. They were so frail and weak, with such a short lifespan. Moths were powerful with their poisons and deadly spores with a lifespan twice as long as a butterfly's. They hid in the darkness of night active while Butterflies slept waiting for morning to awaken them from their slumber.

The moth on her finger rubbed it's antenna together and a soft 'buuur' sound came form the small insect causing Sakura to laugh. That's right, moths could sing where as butterflies couldn't. It was a soft purr like sound as soft as a whisper but a sound none the less. She'd like to see a butterfly sing.

Her eyes saddened as a memory came back to her at the though of butterflies. Naruto had once called her a butterfly after training. She had asked him why but he just squeaked and turned away, refusing to look her in the eye. Then there was that event today when he called her frail, just like a butterfly. A weak… helpless… little… butterfly.

The moth on her finger purred again and tickle her cheek with it's long antenna. Moths were powerful though mostly plain not like butterflies. She used to be a butterfly when she and Ino grew their hair out and wore makeup to impress boys instead of training. Now a days she never wore makeup no matter how light and kept her hair short, just the way she liked it. True, she was once a butterfly but now…now she was completely different.

A bolt of white lightning flashed in the dark apartment as the lights flashed out leaving her in total darkness. A few minuets later another flash of lightning streaked across the sky illuminating the small room for a brief moment in a bright light. That was, illuminating everything except two large black orbs completely drowned in the dark onyx shade leaving no room any other color in a pale girl's almond shaped eyes.

She was a moth.

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Ah, there it is Please review! Flam if you want, I like flames too.

Ja ne


	2. First steeps

**Author's note:** Okay, time for a long authors note I guess. First off I want to thank all of you who review the first chapter. I was shocked when I saw all the reviews come in. I almost cried in happiness! So thank you for making my life worth living and this fic worth reading.

Okay the second point, What really made me want to write this was the fact that nobody likes the moths. It's true. That and there are twenty some odd stories out there about Sakura and something to do with a butterfly. How mang are their of moths? noneaside from this one. I was never one for the crowd and I prefer moths over butterflies. Most people see moths as ugly insects that do nothing but eat your wool. I wanted to write a fic that portrayed the as beautiful beings. So that is why I originally wrote this. Giving love to the moths.

Another thing is that the first chapter had a lot in common with Moonbeam Great Goddess of the Night's fic Cherry Blossoms in the Moonlight (great fic go read it) with the first chapter and all. I just want to say I asked her if this was okay and she replied saying it was as long as I keep the plot of my story separate from her own. I can't thank her enough for that. Her own stories are very well written and I wanted to keep the focus of the story on Sakura's moth gift.

And last but not least I do not own Naruto. Only my moths.

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**Chapter Two First Steeps**

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_Drawn like moths we drift into the city _

_The timeless old attraction _

_Cruising for the action _

_Lit up like a firefly _

_Just to feel the living night_

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She sat there for the longest time completely alone in the darkness.

"I should be use to this..." She rasped weakly, her voice straining to sound human.

Her eyes drifted towards some crumpled up pieces of paper in the corner she had thrown there weeks ago. They were copies of requests specifically for her from clients outside the village. People wanting her to go on A ranked missions for them. There was even an S rank one from a man living outside of Suna. Tsunade had taken these requests and handed them to other not as skilled as her.

Sakura was hurt of course but she kept pushing it away thinking it was just on mission. That one mission turned into two and those two turned into six and seven and thirteen and then twenty. There were forty five mission requests on her floor right now. -

It was still raining when she left her apartment many hours later to head over towards the Hokage tower determined to ask for a mission. Maybe Tsunade sensei would assign her one to cover up for the mission her team was sent on. By now her wounded hands were fully healed with nothing more than a scratch scaring their smooth texture. This time she didn't bother to mask her chakra as she passed by the guards openly and continued on her way towards the Hokage's office.

"One last time." She though keeping what little hope she had left alive.

Her heels made a soft clicking sound as she strode down the hall stopping in front of the same door that separated her from her team as they betrayed her. She stopped pausing for a moment frozen. She almost didn't want to knock knowing deep down what the outcome of her mission would be. But alas there was no point in postponement the inevitable so letting her knuckles fall against the dark wood she knocked politely.

"Come in..." She heard the Hokage call from the other side. Obeying she gripped the cold metal door knob and stepped through the open doorway and into the Hokage's large office room.

"Hokage sama." Sakura addressed bowing slightly in respect her short hair falling out from behind her ears and over she shoulders. The hazel eyed woman looked up and smiled brushing a stray lock of blond hair behind her ear.

"Oh Hello Sakura chan. What brings your way down here?"

"Hokage sama I wish to request a solo mission," said Sakura, her voice stern and even.

Tsunade flinched a little taken aback by her stone cold voice that seemed so unlike the bright and cherry Sakura she grew to love. True she did look a bit down for the past few weeks but Tsunade thought it was just a faze that would eventually disappear, not elevate. Waving it off as sleep depression she regained her smile and replied. "I'm sorry Sakura, I don't think we have anything at the moment for you. But I promise to let you know as soon as something comes in."

"Don't you have anything? You must have something for me." The desperation clear in her voice.

"Maybe something a little easier would suite you. I might have a B class escort mission to the Mizu no Kuni, the land of water somewhere in here for you." Sakura flinched inwardly hearing those words again as the blond woman bent down to look through the drawers searching through some papers grumbling about something along the lines of how messy it was and how she could never find anything. It was just as she thought.

"Here it is Sakura chan it's a B rank escort...Sakura?" Tsunade stated coming up to find her office completely empty. Shrugging it off she stuffed the scroll back into a draw. "She must have not wanted it." she though. Leaning back she pulling out a hazy green colored bottle hidden in her draw and took a sip.

On her desk was a picture of her younger brother and her old boyfriend Dan, Next to that picture was one of Shizune and herself. The last a -and her favorite- photo was of her and Sakura at and Ice cream stand. The stick sweet substance stinging to their faces around their huge joyful grins. Their smiles. Sakura never smiled like that anymore.

The Hokage put down her Sake and picked of the framed photo. It was an old one and Sakura looked so much younger. If you never meet either of the two you would have guess that they were mother and daughter. And to Tsunade that's what Sakura was to her- a daughter.

No!

Her daughter.

Her precious daughter

.  
Sending her precious daughter out on missions where she could possible be killed was not something she was fond of. She loved Sakura and wanted her safe. A bit too much. But that was the only reason she held the poor girl back. She knew Sakura was strong. She knew she was powerful. She knew she could take on more difficult missions. She knew she was capable. She knew Sakura could do it, but she didn't want her to.

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Sakura slipped out of the office the moment the blond woman bent over to look for that scroll. Stopping at the front desk she asked for Shizune, the only other ninja to train under to Hokage. Just as she though she was preparing for a mission. The black haired woman was most likely taking her pace on team seven's S rank infiltration mission despite the obvious fact that she was much weaker than Sakura. Everything was just as she though.

Taking a turn down the rain stained streets of her village she once again headed towards the dark colorless apartment room she currently occupied. A few stray drop of heaven's tears splashed across her face and over her hair in wet droplets but she didn't quicken her pace. She loved the rain. It was always seemed so serene and peaceful to her.

But today, today it was nothing to her. She couldn't feel the rain, she couldn't smell the sweet aroma's dancing through the air from the bakery, she couldn't hear her name being called by one of her old friends she see the street in front of her. Today her senses abounded her switching over to auto drive, blocking out the busy world and it's troubles.

Her footsteps once again echoed loudly as she walked down the hallway, around the corner, and down the stairs towards her apartment room. Her mind was a mess as she violently slammed the door behind her not caring if it echoed throughout the building. She didn't release her grip on the cold metal knob though. She just stood there not nothing, barely breathing as her dark forest green eyes stared off into space. Her body started to shake starting with a slight shiver escalating until her small frame couldn't take it any more. Letting her knees buckle under her weight she lifelessly slumped to the floor cold cement floor. Her knees caved inwards as her lower legs stretched outward. Her shoulders slumping down limply as her head drooped like a rag doll's heavy with a weight she didn't feel like lifting.

It was just as she and utterly down to the very words that escaped the Hokage's lips. It was just as she though so she shouldn't be so surprised right? Letting her head fall forward a shadow passed over her eyes.

"I hate being right." She murmured dully as the sad words passed over her pink full lips.

Lifting her hand up to her face she curled it into a fist so tight her knuckles turned white, letting her nails dig into her porcine skin ripping away her flesh. Four crescent wounds soon penetrated her skin bringing out her dark crimson liquid.

She smirked evilly at the pain that she couldn't feel.

The scarlet liquid snaked down her wrist like a serpent continuing to advance down her arm. A few small droplets dripped off her elbow on to the floor pooling in a dark red puddle that grew larger and larger with every drop of her precious life source. A tear drop slid down her chin and mixed with the dark red blood bringing it a shade lighter.

_"Ga."_

She blinked once holding a steady gaze at the small pool of blood, her almond shaped emerald eyes never straying. Soon that same puddle rippled as a pair of black and silver wings poked out followed by a small black body and a pair of furry antenna just like that had earlier that morning. It flattened it's wings a bit spreading them out to display the beautiful onyx wings with silvery white tips that ran in an elegant and graceful pattern.

She smiled to herself remembering that one day she was training in the forest by herself. Sai had called her ugly again and she didn't want to hit the ignorant boy so she decided to take her anger out on some trees.

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_She ran into the forest not bothering to notice how deep she was treading. As she ran her anger escalated for reasons she can't remember. She got angry a lot but looking back it was a way to mask her hurt or pain. She tried not to cry but soon she could feel her hot tears trailing down her cheeks. Closing her eyes she blindly dashed between the trees as the wind hissed loudly in her ears._

_Her legs collapsed exhausted from the run at the base of a tree towering high above her. Screaming wildly she lashed out at the aged bark. She screamed again knowing she was too far away for anyone to hear her. She didn't care if she was pretty so why was she so angry when Sai called her ugly like he had so many times before? The only other thing Sai said aside from the usual ugly was fragile. Fragile as in weak. Weak as in useless, useless as in a hindrance a deadweight._

_She stopped breathing heavily now and choked as another sob escaped her. Even now she was proving the dark haired boy's theory. Crying was a sign of weakness and here she was bawling her eyes out like a little two year old. What was the point of even being a ninja anymore if all she ever did was cry and hold her team back? Crying out one more time she punched the tree hard making it vibrate._

_A buzzing noise hummed in the back of her mind causing her to look up and gasp. Thousand and thousands of poisonous moths were spilling out of the tree and into the air around her. They must have had a nest within the huge tree and when she punched it she disturbed them. Turning her head upward a she watched in horror as more and more of the winged insects spilled out of the tree. Taking a step back she tripped over one of the tree's many roots and fell back onto her rump. That was going to hurt in the morning, that is, if she lived that long._

_The moths circled around her flying a bit lower to the ground. Sakura had heard stories about men and woman that had angered the moths and were killed by their poison or at the least hospitalized in critical condition. She had seen the damage they could do. Oh well if she were to meet her end her she would deserve it, she did after all try to destroy their home out of blind anger. She wouldn't hold it against them if hey decided to press justice upon her._

_The moths were still buzzing around her but they seemed to stop moving, weather it be flying in place or landing. She turned her head back towards the tree and noticed that the moths streaming out if it seemed to have stopped. Then out of one of the higher holes a snow white moth with pink tipped wings fluttered effortlessly down to her.  
"She must be their queen or something." She thought silently to herself remembering how insects usually had a queen that they all served._

_The snow white insect circled around her head passing by her eyes at a very close rang giving Sakura a good look at the moth. If she had to guess she would say the winged insect was pretty old and on her last leg. She seemed to be inspecting her deciding weather or not to kill her._

_Stopping in front of her face it hovered for a few moments as Sakura held her breath praying it didn't want to kill her. Seeing the moth move out of it's little area The green eyes child gasped as it landed on her nose letting it's wings fall limply to it's sides. Lights flashed behind her dazzling emerald green eyes as she felt her head become heavy as it's toxins spread throughout her body. Moaning she fell back lifelessly onto the tree roots as her eyes closed in darkness._

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_-_

She later learned that a random Jonin had found her many hours later by pure luck and brought her to the hospitable before leaving to inform her teammates. Since Kakashi and Naruto were not around only Sai knew. Tsunade said she had never seen the calm artistic ninja so freaked out. With a light laugh she added that it was a good thing Naruto or Kakashi didn't know about her little accident or they two would freak out. Though Sakura had a hard time picturing Sai panicking over her or anything for that matter.

They asked her what happened but she didn't tell them. No one, not even Tsunade knew what really happened that day since all she told them was that she felt something land on the back of her head before passing out. She wanted to keep it a secret fearing they would try to take her new abilities away. She had a feeling that the white moth wanted her to have these...these capabilities as a gift before she died.

She lifted up two fingers in a horizontal position making a perch for the moth keeping it close to her face. The moth burred and eagerly flew to Sakura's outstretched fingers awaiting the instructions of it's mistress. Sakura brought her long delicate fingers closer to her face so that her eyes were level with those of the moth's and parted her lips preparing to speak.

"It was just as I though." She whispered with a sad sorrowful tone. "You know what to do." The moth beat it's wings and hopped off her fingers flying towards the only open window landing on it's sill. It turned around and rubbed it's antenna tighter making that same purring noise. For some reason it's tone seemed sad.

"I know, they shouldn't have said those things about me but they did and what's done is done no one can change the past. Now go, the rain has stopped but it looks like it'll pick up soon". Sakura replied with a lightness to her sorrowful voice, even sparing a quick smile to the winged insect before it took off into the growing dusk.

Sakura turned her attention back towards the pile of bags and necessary gear in the corner. Her old light blue backpack was tossed aside, replaced with a dark gray knapsack filled with dimension scrolls, food, money and clothing as well as a few medical necessaries.

A ping of gilt rippled through her heart when she didn't bother to pack a picture of her friends but she pushed that feeling down as she closed the flap. She pulled out a dark brown hooded cloak that dragged ever so slightly behind her due to her lack of height and fastened it around her shoulders with an highly wrought black winged broach after slinging on her backpack. The cloak would be perfect for what she had in mind.

She stood up and looked over at the counter where a piece of paper lay next to a box. The piece of paper was for whoever came into her apartment when she wasn't home and the box was for the Hokage. Grabbing the box she tucked it under her arm and opened the door stopping to take one final look around her apartment before leaving. To put it lightly, it was a mess. There was still that small crater in the ground from her fit before filled with dry blood as well as a few overturned chairs, a table broken in two, three shattered lamps, and a overturned couch. Such was the anger and betrayal the small girl felt. Her curtains were pulled down and torn into shreds and her precious bookshelf was void of most it's books as it lay overturned on the floor.

She smirked sinisterly to herself as she walked out, closing the door behind her. Her body shifted direction and now headed for the Hokage tower for the last time in a while. She pulled her hood up over her head letting a shadow cover her face as her lips moved the utterance of words.

"Everything is going just as I though. "Hokage sama." The lady at the front desk called walking into Tsunade's office and bowing slightly to show her respect.

The hazel eyed Konohagakure leader looked up from her paperwork happy for a distraction. "Yes Aikra?" She asked, "What is it?"

"This package just arrived for you a few minuets ago. It's addressed to 'Tsunade' not Hokage sama so I though I should tell you about it right away." The young woman replied.

"Tsunade? Who is it from?" The hazel eyed woman asked reaching out at taking it from the young woman's outstretched hands.

"There is no name or address on it what so ever as you can see and I don't know who delivered it." The Hokage raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner and looked at Aikra who bowed her head and blushed with shame.

"I'm sorry Hokage sama, I heard a noise and went to see what it was and when I got back the package was sitting on my desk."

Tsunade sighed and let the poor woman go back to her desk without a word before looking over the package. Turning it over she found a blank white envelope taped to the bottom with nothing written on it. Curiously she picked it up and opened it taking out the beautifully written letter addressed to her in Sakura's unmistakable handwriting.

_Dear Tsunade,_

_As you are well aware there were no missions for me today. Seeing this I wish to be left alone for the next seven days for reasons I can not discuss with you over this letter. I would have asked you in person and explained the whole subject but some troubling matters arose preventing me from doing so. As my sensei and as my friend I humbly beg of you to respect my wishes.  
If anyone comes to ask about me please tell me that I simply do not wish to be disturbed. Though I highly doubt anyone would waste their breath let alone their time on a inconvenience such as myself. So you need not worry yourself to much about that. On the eight day feel free to open the package I have sent you but until then please refrain from doing so. __Once again I ask this of you as your student and friend. If there has ever been a moment even in the slightest that I found favor in your eyes please respect my wishes. After seven days everything will be made clear. I will forever remain your humble servant and student,_

_Sakura_

Tsunade frowned deeply setting the letter down and looking at the package and then back at the letter and then back at the package. If it had been anyone other then Sakura she would have opened the parcel up in a minuet but seeing that it was Sakura.

"I guess I could wait a week, her team should be back by then." She murmured setting the packed on one of her bookshelves where it would wait for the rest of the week. "I just hope I'm not making a mistake." She murmured not noticing the brand new crack on the side of her teacup.

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A dark brown blur flew over rooftops appearing to float or levitate due to the grace it possessed. The rain had started up again and a light was raining down though not as heavy as it had earlier that morning. The blur stopped dropping down into an alleyway between two buildings pressing up against the wall to hid in the shadows as a tall brown haired Jonin passed by.

Sakura let a breath escape her lips as she pulled back her hood to run a hand through her silky pink hair void of it's usual headband. Her heart was pounding a mile a minuet with excitement. She felt a small twinge of guilt tug at her heart remembering the letter she wrote to the Hokage. True she didn't really lie but she didn't tell the whole truth and that was just as bad.

"Well I wouldn't have to do this if only they believed in me." She though as she pulled her hood back up and slipped out of the shadows continuing to fly towards her desired destination.

It wouldn't be much longer now. Just as she predicted the gates of Konohagakure were now in her line of vision. She stopped by one of the lookout booths and peered inside. She smiled a bit seeing the guard snoring loudly, fast asleep. A copper red moth was resting on his head. The sleep spores this moth gave off would last a while with no ill side effects except bit of drowsiness so she had plenty of time.

She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and the moth left the slumbering body and flew to her shoulder. "You did well little one your job is complete feel free to return to you dwelling and rest."

The moth 'buuured' happily before flying off into the mist quickly taking care to avoid the rain by staying under the trees.

Sakura turned around to face the village hidden in the leaves and let her half lidded eyes scan the sight before her. It was very dark out due to the approaching night as well as the dark gray rain clouds that blocked out the sun. Her village seemed so gloomy when wet. Or maybe it was just her looking at it with eyes clouded by sadness.

"This isn't goodbye, at least I don't mean it to be. Who knows, I could very well die and never return like I planned. I don't know how long I'll be gone but I plan to only stay away for a year, a year and a half if necessary." She mused speaking to her town as if it could hear her. "I wonder If you'll miss me. You will at fist I bet, but after a while you won't even notice I'm gone. You'll like it without me here, after all no one likes having a deadweight around to hold them back."

The guard from inside the booth groaned in his sleep muttering something. The sleeping spore wouldn't last forever so she decided to wrap things up.

"Well you won't have one in me. May you do well in my absence, farewell my radian village of the leaves, until we meet again. I leave to find my happiness" And with those words the cloaked figure turned on her heel and darted away from the hidden leaf village leaving a small dainty footprint in to mud only to be filled in with rain that would soon wash it away till nothing remained.

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_"I'm leaving to find my smile..."_

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1.) Ga means moth 

Gah you don't know how many times I had to re-uploade this part into the documents folder thingy on FF. first few times it had all these weird signs through it so I had to week it out and they kept coming back but I think I get them this time. Somebody must really hate me 'cause it took me two hours to weed it all out. I think this is my longest chapter yet...I hope you like it long!

There you have it. The second chapter of Like Moths to the light. Sorry for the hugely long author's note at the top. I like to type...a lot.  
Anyway please review! Please, please, please! I love reviews, even flames. I know someone is goona flame me sooner or later and I have a feeling it's going to be about this fic. But that's okay! Sakura lovers please REVIEW!

ja ne

(And happy 4th of July weekend!)


	3. Revelations

AN: There I'm finally finished with this chapter.I'm so happy with all the feedback I'm getting. Thank you all for thet but please don't ever stop. Please review. Flames are welcome as always to toast my Marshmallows and melt my chocolate.

Just to let you know, I won't be updateing anything for the next week since I'll be away on a road trip but when I come back (and if I have enough reviews) I'll update as soon as possible. Please cheek out my profile if you want any other info on this or any of my other stories. I usually put a longer summer or note on how the updating is coming along.

Disclaimer: Me owning Naruto is a laugh! Hahahah.

Enjoy!

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**Chapter Three Revelations**

**X**

**X**

**X**

_Never grown preserved gently  
A bronze moth dies easily  
Unknown to others weak to me  
Broken hands never ending_

**X**

**X**

**X**

The shadows of three weary figures passed under the shadow of Konohagakure's gate just as the sun reached it's peek seven days later. The first of the figures was a tall blond with blue eyes, each of his cheeks bearing three whisker like marks. His name was Naruto Uzumaki container of the legendary and powerful nine tailed demon fox. His normal black and orange jumpsuit was greatly wrinkled with a few cuts and tears signaling that he was in a fight. His wild golden hair was a mess as dirt clung to his limbs and cloths from the fight he was pulled into.

Trailing close behind him was an ex member of the now-defunct Root, an independent subdivision of the ANBU, Naruto's teammate Sai. His black hair and dark coal eyes reminding many of the traitor Uchiha Sasuke who's place he now filled. Sai groaned a bit rubbing his soar shoulder that was recently healed by the second dark haired team member Shizune. He guessed that her healing abilities weren't bad but he sorely missed the pink haired Kunoichi that could heal so much better. Well at least she didn't have to come with them and risk herself on their mission.

Shizune was trailing behind the two boys with half lidded eyes that desperately needed sleep. The mission was a failure due to the corrupted information they received. The small detached sound base that they were suppose to infiltrate was really a trap set by Orochimaru. "Sakura chan would have done much better than me." She thought with a sigh remembering her poor kills and the lack of help she provided.

Lastly hanging behind the three was Hatake Kakashi, the infamous copycat ninja of over a thousand jutsus. His spiked silver hair hung limply as his one visible dark eye drooped obviously tired. Who wouldn't be after a major ambush while being outnumbered a dozen or more to one? As much as he hated to admit it Sakura would have been a huge help during the attack considering she was a much better fighter than Shizune who was mostly just a medic and not much of a experienced fighter. At lease she wasn't hurt or worse. He knew he babied the pink haired kunoichi but he'd die a thousand deaths before he let any harm come to her.

Sighing the retired ANBU rubbed the back of his head and stopped. "We need to report back to the Hokage before any Ramen stops Naruto."

Naruto sighed letting his shoulders drop, he was planning on sneaking a quick trip to the ramen bar before having to report to the Hokage on their failed mission. "Just a quick stop?" He asked with a sheepish voice knowing his intentions were found out.

Shizune laughed lightly despite her tired and weary state. "But Naruto, Sakura chan might be there filling in for me with Tsunade sensei. You might get to see her when we hand in our report."

Naruto seemed to cheer up a bit as a bright smile tugged at his lips. Sai and Kakashi seemed to brighten at this thought as well picking up their pace.

"Yeah I get to see Sakura chan and then I can treat her out to Ramen and go on a date!" He cheered suddenly filled with energy. Kakashi and Sai both frowned at his statement but chose to remain silent as Shizune just laughed.

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The dark eyed female medic nin who was now in front led the small group towards the Hokage's office where they knew they would find the first female Kage. After knocking they received a sharp grunt signaling them to enter.

"Thank goodness you guys are finally here I've been waiting all day for you four." Said Tsunade as she shuffled a few stray papers into a semi neat pile. "So…mission repot!"

"Tsunade Sama the infiltration mission was a failure. The small detached sound base we believed to be a private training grounds for sound ninja was in reality a trap set up for us." Shizune briefly explained before going into detail about their mission, Tsunade all the while nodding her head and added an occasional 'hmm' to confirm that she was actually listening. You could tell she was disappointed in hearing that it was really a trap. If Their theory was correct then they would have a much easier time finding Sasuke and the sound base.

After Kakashi spoke up to confirm all had said Shizune the Hokage was about to dismiss them when Naruto spoke up loudly.

"Hey, hey, hey, wait a second baa chan, isn't Sakura chan suppose to be working here with you, where is she? I didn't see her coming here."

Tsunade looked up from her desk and blinked back at the loud blond as a brief silence set over the small group. Suddenly her eyes lit up remembering something as she stood up and rushed over towards the bookshelves.

"Tsunade sama?" Shizune asked tilting her head as the female Hokage went through books and scrolls throwing the onto the floor before finding whatever she was looking for and bringing it down.

"I forgot all about this until you just mentioned Sakura chan. She hasn't been with me at all during the past week, she requested to be left alone all week and told me to open this package after a week was up. The only person that asked about her was Neji before he left on his mission but as far as I know she's still at her apartment." She answered starting to unwrap the package Sakura left behind for her. Lifting the lid up so that only she could see it's contents the woman visible paled as a look of horror came across her face.

"Tsunade sama?" Kakashi questioned noticing the distress look that came over her once she opened Sakura's package. If he wasn't so concerned with the look on her face he would have asked about Neji asking about Sakura but that wasn't the case.

"….Quick! You three to Sakura's apartment room now! Use forced entry if you need to I don't care just go!" She screamed standing up so fast her rather large chair fell backwards. "GO NOW!"

Instantly three blurs leapt from the Hokage's office out the window towards the pink kunoichi's apartment, their path already memorized. At the present moment, after seeing the Hokage go from friendly to horror stricken in an instant due to Sakura's package, a worse case scenario was running through everyone's minds. Would could have been in the package to make the Hokage snap like that? What was wrong with Sakura?

The three ran through the apartment building taking a sharp corner arriving at her room. Sai tried the door but it was locked just as they expected. Switching to plan B Kakashi backed up before lunging at the door with his shoulder lowered. A loud crack echoed throughout the halls as the two met resulting with the wood crashing inward as the Jonin stumbled through the newly made pathway. Sai and Naruto rushed in after him to stop suddenly when they saw state of the apartment building.

"…Wh…what happened here?" Naruto asked bewildered as he stared at the overturned chairs, broken lamps, and shredded drapes.

The apartment was in shambles with almost everything in disarray. There was a bit of dried blood here and there staining the floor that all three knew somehow, that it once was Sakura's.

"Sai knelt down at the crater inn the floor and inspected it, frowning at the blood he knew belonged to Sakura. "This was made without chakra by several punches, I'm judging by the bloodstains she must have beat her fists raw until the cement shattered." Sai mused feeling he inside of the hole. "What I don't get is why?" He mused.

"I think this might explain it." Naruto stated calling the silver haired Jonin and the artistic boy ninja over to where he was standing. A piece of white paper was gripped firmly in his hands as he glared daggers at the scrap of parchment.

Kakashi frowned seeing the dark look come over her former student's face but received the piece of paper from his shaking hands regardless. It was a note or rather letter from Sakura herself, he could tell due to the unshakeable handwriting he knew to be her own. Clearing his throat be began to read the letter out loud to both Sai and Naruto.

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_To whom it may concern_,

To whomever is reading this right now I humbly apologize and beg your forgiveness for the mess my apartment has been left in. I am truly sorry you had to see what you saw, you must have thought a fight or some terrible event took place here but alas it was only me throwing a tantrum.

If my assumption is correct than the first people to be reading this letter are Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi sensei then after them Tsunade sensei and then my other friends. You guys are all probably wondering what in the world is going on and why I can not be found. The answer is simple, I have left. Yes your eyes are still in proper order and you read that right. I left, I left my home, I left my friends, I left my village, simply put: I left.

Now if you are still reading this and haven't stormed out of the village to track me down and find me stop. Please don't bother with your useless attempts to find me. By the time this letter reaches you I will be a weeks journey away from the village, give or take a few hours. Do not get me wrong I love my village and would never abandon it but I simply can not stand living here anymore.

I don't know if you hate me personally or think I'm so useless I can't help with anything but I know I'm either unwanted or unneeded. And if either one is the case it would serve everyone better if I just left for a while to train until I can be of some small use. Until then I will remain away from my dear sweet and oh so precious village. I eagerly look forward to the day when I will be strong enough to return home and aid my motherland in some small yet meaningful way.

Naruto, Sai, Kakashi sensei, and Tsunade sensei I humbly beg you apology for being so weak and useless to you before this and I am sorry it had to come to this but I needed to do this, if not for you than for me. I may be selfish of me to say this but I need this for myself as well. Being useless and a hindrance is worse than death and sometimes I believe the cold dark abyss would be a better place for me that this kind loving earth where I have all of you. Thankfully I am still alive and can tell you this. I don't know if you can understand my feelings now but it hurts so very much that I can not take it anymore. I can say with little doubt in my heart that If I were to continue living here the way I have, nothing would be strong enough to stop me from thrusting the bade into my heart thus ending my meaningless life in the process.

I hope I have convinced you to not utterly hate and despise such a filth as I for all eternity and will except me back into my home when I return whenever that shall be. Until then I doubt a nuisance such as I will not be missed very much,

Sakura

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Kakashi stopped reading as his arm fell limply to his side, the small parchment still caught in his lifeless grasp. "She… left…"

"She said she thinks we hate her." Sai simply stated in a cold emotionless tone, his dark eyes hallow from any sigh of emotion. "How could she think that?" You couldn't tell by looking at him but his insides felt like they were all tied up in knots of pain and…regret. These feeling confused him to no end and in a way scared him since he only got these feelings around the said pink haired kunoichi from his squad. Somehow the thought of Sakura thinking he hated her hurt him on the inside. Why it did he didn't know, all he knew was it hurt.

"H…how could she? How could she leave like that how could she?" Naruto asked angrily. Sakura was his best friend and not so secret crush since their academy days and to know he may not ever see her again killed him inside. She was out there all alone, without him next to her to protect her from everything. The pain utterly killed him inside and the only way to hide it was to either remain silent or burst into rage and kill someone.

"I didn't know she felt that way." Kakashi murmured looking back at the part when she spoke of the cold dark abyss and ending her life. His whole body shook with rage at the thought of his precious little student killing herself. A life without her bright smile to light up his dark reality was worse than death, he already lost everyone close to him and no one was closer to him now that her. If she were to die…

"Why…?" Naruto asked again his voice still holding anger.

"I think this may be why." Sai called from the living room. The other two quickly trotted over to where the artist nin stood dead still, a shadow covering his eyes.

On the wall painted in dried blood, Sakura's blood, were the two words that explained her departure more than anything. Painted in big bold red letters the words DEAD WEIGH stared back at them menacingly.

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"I wonder if the found it yet?" Sakura though rubbing her nose after a sneeze. Remembering the little message she left for her team she smiled slyly. It took a lot of blood and by the time she was done she was pretty weak but not weak enough to effect her behavior too much.

Hopefully when they saw that they would understand that she was listening when they were being assigned their S rank mission without her and heard what they called her. Since dead weight was the only word they all said to describe her it should get the point across, hopefully they now knew and were regretting it.

Right now she was on the outskirts of a small non shinobi village that offered her a soft bed and a warm meal. Not that she slept but still, a bed would be a much better place to rest than the inside of a stiff hollow tree. Her back was still sore from staying so long in that same balled up position.

Her thoughts were cut short when her stomach growled loudly in hunger begging for nutrition. She giggled sheepishly to herself rubbing the back of her head. The last time she had something to eat was sometime around yesterday morning. Needless to say she needed something now to keep her strength up. A second growl from her noisy gut only encouraged her on this matter.

"Okay, okay, okay, I'm going," she laughed heading over towards a small restaurant.

Her abnormally small sandal clad feet swiftly carried her into the small wooden dwelling where waiters and waitresses occasionally rushed back and forth to fill an order. Good it wasn't crowded. She hated it when it was crowed and noisy. She much preferred this restaurant to the first two she checked out.

She smiled when the cook nodded in her direction signaling he would be with her in a moment. Even though it wasn't as crowded as the other restaurants at this time didn't mean it was completely empty, after all it was around one o clock.

Taking a stool at the small four person bar she let her brown cloak fall around her legs once more. Her hood was pushed back enough to revel her face and still conceal her hair from behind.

Sakura sneezed once more and received the feeling that someone was talking about her. Maybe they were now talking with the Hokage about the letter she left for them or maybe the state they found her apartment in. Tsunade would most likely send a squad out looking for her regardless of her wishes so she made a mental note to keep an eye out for leaf ninja.

Either way it mattered little to her. They still thought she was that same weak twelve year old girl that nod nothing but cry and complain. I sickened her how they treated her like some fragile doll that would shatter at the slightest touch.

"May I take your order miss?" A eighteenish looking waiter asked coming up to her with a small pad of paper and a pencil ready to take her order.

"Yes, I'd like a glass of water and some Odango please." Sakura replied smiling a bit making the waiter blush as he quickly scribbled down her order, taking it into the back.

Sakura chuckled at the waiter's strange behavior remembering the waiters back in Konohagakure who acted the same way for some strange reason she was still oblivious to. "O well, I guess some things never change no matter where you go."

A glass of water was set down in font of her by the same waiter but before she had the chance to tank him he quickly ran off with a very red face. "I wonder if he was sick?" She mussed taking a sip from her glass. The door in front of the restaurant slid open and Sakura could hear a pair walk into the room, she didn't bother to turn around and look at them but she kept her ears open just in case.

Taking another sip from her glass she listened as the first person talked to the second one. "I'm glad we found a place that wasn't so crowded, right sama."

Sakura listened for a reply but it seemed the other person wasn't very talkative. The first voice seemed oddly familiar but she couldn't quite place it.

The same waiter that took her order approached the pair that were seated a few seats down from her and pulled out his pad asking for their order.

"Oh yes, I think I'll have some Oshiruko today," the voice from before stated in a charmingly pleasant tone, though it was defiantly masculine.

"And what about you sir? What would you like to order?"

"…I'll have some Tonkoro ten soup." The second voice stated in a cold, less than pleasant tone clearly stating that he didn't like talking. ( XD Tomatoes!)

Sakura's eyes widened as her pupils shrank in shock hearing that voice, her breathing suddenly becoming irregular. That voice that haunted her dreams so many times before the sweet joy of slumber was taken from her.

That was the voice she would never forget no matter how long she lived.

That first was the voice of none other than the infamous Kabuto of the sound in the company of iniquitous and well known Uchiha Sasuke, traitor of the hidden leaf village.

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It's been I busy week but I managed to get this out there before my faily takes me on a week long road trip. T.T So I won't be updating untill I get back. sorry for that but it can't be helped. 

Please Review! Flames are as always welcome ( I mean it, I don't mind them) Thank you for your reviews!I am Obsessed with your reviews. I never get tired of reading them.

ja ne!


	4. Discoveries

AN:/Wo ho, Two updates in a roll baby! Yeah I did an update yesterday and one today. I don't think I'll be ab;e to put one out tomorow though. But...who knows I just might take over the world with my gummy bear army. But yeah Sasuke is in this chapter as well as Gaara! I like how they both came out in this chapter and can't wait till these boys show up again.

Disclaimer:/Vesper chan dose not in any way own Naruto and was unable to tell you this herself due to grief She asks you be really good people and ease her pain with reviews and/or flame if you want. Please enjoy this chapter.

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**_Chapter Four Discoveries_**

_X_

_Lost in a silent movie  
Moths move  
No words are spoken  
We've both go something to say  
Sound's been broken_

X

Sakura looked down at her hands as they curled themselves into fists filled with anger. Two seats down from her sat the man that was responsible for so many wounds inflicted upon her friends, for the deaths of maybe hundreds, the sorrow of many. Her former teammate, friend, and childhood crush now enemy and adversary was in the same restaurant as her.

Keeping a cool head she kept her chakra masked and thanked God she had it up when the two walked in. I didn't look like they knew who she was or that she was even a ninja, as long as they didn't know she'd be okay.

"Here are your Odango miss." The same waiter from before stated placing the plate of sweet dumplings down in front of her.

"Thank you." She calmly thanked with a smile. The waiter blushed slightly before quickly dashing into the back. "Weird." she quietly mumbled taking a bite out of her dumplings.

Moment later a rustling sound to her left made her ears perk as she glanced in that direction only to meet with silver.

"Hi there my name is Kabuto, it's a pleasure to meet you." He greeted in a pleasant tone, a little too pleasant for her liking. She heard Sasuke grunt in displeasure at Kabuto giving his name away so freely.

"Hello." She stiffly replied before taking another sip of her water hoping he would get the message and back off.

"And what would your name be? A girl as lovely as yourself must have a lovely name." Kabuto replied smiling.

Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly but kept her hands from ringing his neck. "My name is of very little importance. Please forgive me but I don't feel like giving out that information. I ask you to respect my privacy and not ask that."

"That's perfectly acceptable. I'm sorry for my rather blunt approach but I couldn't help but introduce myself when I saw you sitting there all by yourself. So, why are you by yourself or are you waiting for someone?"

Sakura groaned in her head as Kabuto continued to interrogated her. Sure, he didn't mean to but that just made it worse. "No, I'm not waiting for anyone. I like being by myself that's why I'm alone." she calmly replied as the urge to kill the silver haired oto nin rose higher and higher.

Finishing off her dumplings she dropped her money on the counter nodding towards the waiter, who noticed the money, and stood up to leave.

"Well Kabuto san I hope you and your friend have a good day as for me I must be on my way. Farwell you two I hope our paths cross once again in the future." With that said Sakura exited the restaurant leaving her former teammate and the sound ninja alone.

"Boy, how depressing I didn't even get her name." Kabuto sulked as his food came.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as his food was set before him as well, after a while his voice broke the silence. "I could tell you her name."

"Hmm, Sasuke sama how do you know her name?"

Sasuke didn't answer his question but simply closed his eyes letting a short silence take over the two. "…Her name is Sakura."

"Sakura? Wasn't that the name of your former teammate back in Konohagakure? Do you really think she's the same girl?"

"Hurry up and finish your food we'll need to catch up to her in case she's with some other leaf ninja." Sasuke coldly replied ignoring Kabuto's questions and turning to his food.

Kabuto nodded suddenly turning serious before turning to his food and scoffing it down.

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Sakura flicked one of her shoulder length locks out of her line of vision and continued down the road at a leisurely pace. Her hood feel down a few inches covering her face completely in shadow though not enough to ruin her sight.

She planned on checking into a hotel for the night and freshen up a bit before heading out again. Not that she needed sleep but a long warm shower and a comfy bed to rest in were at this point too tempting.

She stopping in the middle of the street and looked up at the sky. It wasn't that late in the day but she wanted to rest up now and be prepared by nightfall when she would start traveling again. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and her old village as possible now more than ever.

"First thing first, I'm not going anywhere until I'm ready. I already have a week's worth of distance between me and them so it's not like I _need _to hurry." She mused out loud as she continued to stroll down the semi crowed streets that were steadily loosing it's citizens.

"Need to hurry from what?" Someone called from behind her making her stop dead in her tracks at the sound of the voice. An icy fist closed around her stilled heart as she bit back a gasp Turning slightly she let her eyes fall on two figures standing behind her. "...It's been a while hasn't it _Sakura_."

"Yes it has been _Uchiha_." She greeted coldly turning fully around to face the two, her crystal emerald eyes narrowing dangerously.

In front of her she saw Sasuke standing next to Kabuto, his hand resting in the hilt of his sword in a casual manner. The devious smirk on his face only made her glare increase. How could he have known it was her? She masked her chakra perfectly and hid all her facial feathers from his view. The only thing he had that could possibly link her to the same girl she had been years ago was her voice and even that had changed slightly.

Bringing her attention back to the present moment she set her hard gaze on the ex leaf ninja now traitor.

"No, no, no Sakura chan. Don't look at me like that, it ruins your pretty face." He teased infuriating her. What was with the Sakura _chan _and the pretty face comment. This was Uchiha Sasuke standing in front of her for Pocky's sake, human ice cube and emo king of all the hidden villages. Why was he acting like this with the teasing manner and confusing words?

"What do you want with me Sasuke?" She coldly asked annoyed that he had seen through her disguise.

"Do I really need an excuse to chat with my previous Konohagakure teammate?" He asked mockingly tiling his head to the side.

"Yes." She spat angrily, her cold emerald eyes flashing with hints of midnight black. She could feel her sharp canines almost grow with the urge to rip his head off. She felt herself grow defensive since she was outnumbered, and considering it was Sasuke, outmatched.

Sasuke sighed flicking a navy blue lock out oh his eyes in a relaxed manner knowing that he was the one in control outnumbering and outmatching the small petal haired girl. "Sakura I'm hurt. Can't we all just get along for once and have a nice quite chat?"

"No." Was her sharp reply once again.

Sasuke frowned seeing that she wasn't in the mood for talking and sighed slightly before his trademark smirk found it's way back to his face. "Fine if you don't want to talk I guess we could do this the hard way." He stated slowly using his thumb to push out the hilt of his sword out a few inches to get the point across. "Though I can not guarantee you the safety of all these innocent people that look too much like walking targets."

Sakura breathed in sharply knowing exactly what he meant. But then again what do you expect from an S class criminal who has already killed many before and most likely wouldn't hesitate to do so again to get what he wanted.

Growling softly she cursed herself for not disguising herself better and attracting his attention. "Fine, I'll talk with you but not here it's too crowded for my liking."

Sasuke nodded, his smirk growing as he released the hilt of his sword and pointed to some hills outside the city gates. "That's fine, we can talk there."

Sakura turned her head slightly letting her eyes dart over to the hills before flashing back to the ex leaf avenger, making certain he hadn't tried anything. "That'll do." She murmured jumping off.

Sasuke smirked as he watched the short haired girl jump off in the direction he had picked out. Even though it had changed over the years he would have recognized her voice anywhere and that had been the main flaw in her disguise. He almost didn't believe it when he first saw her sitting a few seats down conversing with Kabuto but that soothingly, tight tingling feeling he got deep down in his gut whenever he was around her couldn't be mistaken.

It was Sakura, the same small fragile Sakura he had loved to protect over the years. He missed that about his current occupation: vessel in waiting, he wasn't there to protect her like he once had.

He scowled remembering the people he left her with. The people that were doing his job as if it were their own. The people that protected her like he used to, they didn't know how good they had it the lucky dogs.

Nodding to Kabuto the two departed from their current spots and hastily followed the brown blur that seemed to bee riding the wind as it glided across the terrain. He truly did miss her and at this moment he could hardly be happier.

Sakura glided to a stop in the middle of the grassy field and turned to stare at the Uchiha that had landed a few feet away. "Okay we're here now what do you want to know?" Sakura asked in a sour tone.

Sasuke smirked seeing her sour expression before speaking. "Nothing much, I just want to know where the rest of your team is and why you are here?"

Sakura blinked slowly as if processing his words before snickering softly to herself. Sasuke frown slightly wondering why she would laugh at something like this. He though for sure she would shoot some sassy reply back at his face about how she would never tell him in a million years. "I fail to see what so funny Sakura."

Sakura ceased her soft laughter and straightened her leaning posture before replying. "What's so funny is that you think I'm here on a _mission _with a _team_."

"So, what's that suppose to mean?"

Sakura sighed and pulled her hood back fully letting her wild untame hair whip freely in the breeze void of any headband. "It mean that I am no longer with Konohagakure, _Sasuke_. I left a long time ago all by myself. If there were any leaf ninja here I wouldn't be."

Sasuke stared at her for a moment in almost disbelief seeing her without her headband. "So, you're not with Konohagakure?" He asked hesitantly still in disbelief.

Sakura merely shook her head.

Sasuke instantly lightened up. "That's great, you could come with me to Sound and we could both be missing nins together !" He exclaimed resembling a child that just received a toy on Christmas day.

Sakura scoffed at that word and looked away. "No, I would never fully turn my back on the Leaf. I just couldn't stand it there anymore so I left for a while. I'm not a missing nin Sasuke and I'm not coming with you to sound."

Sasuke looked a little hurt as his hopes were soon dashed but hid his emotions quickly and moved on to the next question. "Why did you leave?"

Sakura looked back at him and sighed deciding it wouldn't hurt to answer his question. "I was underestimated and over protected. Everyone doubted me on my abilities and I was held back from things I knew I could do because they still thought I needed protection. The denied me missions they knew I could handle and refused to train me hard enough for fear of hurting me."

She bent her head down once more as her cherry pink locks fell over her eyes covering them in shadow. "They called me weak and a deadweight behind my back when they didn't even know what I could do."

Sasuke could hear the pain in her voice and remembered all the times on missions when he was fighting stronger enemies, they called him weak and useless and it hurt. But they were his enemies and it was trash talk to distract him, still it hurt. He couldn't imagine his closest friends saying that he was weak.

His eyes narrowed remembering the pain in her voice when she told him, the pain caused by them. She was hurting on the inside because of them and their reckless actions, how dare they say anything hurtful about _his_ dear cherry blossom.

Sakura then looked up as pulled her hood back over her face. "I plan on leaving tomorrow and need to rest so if you'll excuse me I must truly leave this time."

"Wait, aren't you going to try and stop us?" Kabuto asked confused as to why she was leaving so quietly.

Sakura turned around to glance at him for a brief moment before resuming her course down towards the village. "No as I said before I am no longer with Konohagakure, therefore I see no need to do anything."

Sasuke smirked once again as his anger for her friends left him. "Maybe we'll meet again one day, Sakura. I hope it will be under circumstances as good as these."

Sakura did not turn to face him but he could hear her chuckle softly. "As much as I would desire that I highly doubt it, still there is always hope. Goodbye Uchiha Sasuke, Kabuto san I was nice speaking with you." And with a wave of her hand she was gone in a funnel of cherry blossoms.

Sasuke sighed resting his arm on the hilt of his sword and looked up at the clouds lazily crawling across the sky. "Yes Sakura chan, there is always hope." With those words the two sound ninja were too gone, only this tie in a puff of smoke most like returning to team hebi.

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Back at Konoha A pair of sandal clad feet moved swiftly approaching the gates. The guards looked up and smiled letting the man pass without a word, he was after all a regular visitor. He hadn't been to the hidden leaf in a while and so he felt like he owed them a visit.

Gaara ran a hand through his messy crimson locks as he continued to pace down the village's streets. He was now Kazekage and was very proud of the title. And one of the responsibilities of that title was serving X amount of mission in an allied village. Naturally he excepted all his missions from Konohagakure having friends there. He hand a short weekend to spend since the council was covering for him for the next few days and decided to come and visit Naruto and Sakura.

His eyes narrowed remembering the real reason he was there. That horrible gut feeling in the pit of his stomach that wouldn't go away was driving him crazy and he had to make sure everything was okay with his friends before he could truly relax.

Out of habit he let his feet carry him wherever they wanted him to go and found himself outside Sakura's apartment complex. Traveling down the hallway he reached the basement floor where her room was located. His eyes darted to her door and widened when he saw that it was forced open. Breaking into a run, he burst into her apartment and froze in place.

He saw the overturned couch the broken chairs and the shattered lamps and knew something had happened here. His head snapped towards the crater in the floor with old dried blood, now black with age lining the inside.

He bent down to examine it and frowned. It was _her_ blood, _her_ blood was shed and on the ground where it shouldn't be.

He growled standing up and was turning around when he stopped dead in his tracks. Fear covered his eyes as he stared at the large 'DEAD WEIGHT' sign written in black dried blood. _Her _blood.

He didn't know if it was anger at everyone for letting this happen to her or fear for what happened to her but one of the two filled his body forcing him out the door down the street towards the Hokage tower where he could Feel Naruto's chakra. He trusted him with her and look what happened. The force that drove him urged him on faster not bothering to use his sand to transport him there.

Naruto, Kakashi and Sai were all standing in front of the Hokage's desk as they waited for her to hand over their mission when a loud rumbling sound echoed following the sound of a door being slammed open. The sound of pounding feet soon followed as the door to the room practically exploded. The group of Leaf villagers turned to see an angry Kazekage panting in the doorway as his sand shifted around him angrily. His normally calm sea foam eyes were now wild and frantic as he gazed over the room.

"Where…is…she?" He growled in between breaths.

Tsunade stood up and bowed slightly. "Kazekage san I'm sorry for what your feeling now but-"

"Where is she?" He growled again this time cutting her off. Tsunade gulped taking a step back feeling slightly intimidated. No, slightly was way behind her she was feeling _very _intimidated right now.

Thankfully Naruto spoke up saving Tsunade from certain death at the hands of one of Sakura's many over protective friends. "She left."

Gaara turned to him, his anger melting into fear as an anguished expression took hold of his feathers. "What? What are you saying?"

"He's saying she left Kazekage sama." Kakashi interrupted in a calm tone. "I'm judging by your expression that you saw her room. She left that for us to show how angry she was most likely before leaving.

"Angry? Why would she be angry enough to leave her village?" He asked glaring at them knowing they had something to do with her departure.

"She left us a note if you want to read it. It might explain some things for you." Sai added reaching over Tsunade's dusk and grabbing the white piece of paper before handing it to the angry sand ruler.

Gaara quickly grabbed the piece of parchment and let his eyes scan over the letter. A grow escaped his throat a few times sending shivers down their spines from fear. After finishing the note he looked up at the two and glared sharply. "What did you do?" He snarled as his rage returned once more.

"What do you mean what did _we _do?" Sai calmly asked, his face never changing.

"Being _unwanted _and _unneeded_, where did that come from?"

"Kazekage san in all honesty we're not entirely sure about anything concerning this matter. But what we believe was that she overheard something that was said and took it the wrong way, feeling unwanted and unneeded she ran away." Tsunade explained slowly and carefully, hoping not to anger the young sand ruler any further.

"What did she overhear?" He asked calming down a bit, though still retaining his trademark death glare.

The blond woman sighed pinching the bridge of her nose before continuing. "Sakura's team was sent on an S rank infiltration mission to a small detached training compound a little over a week ago. I had originally assigned her a spot on the team naturally but…" Here she paused knowing she was condemning the kunoichi-less team to Gaara's wrath. "But her team… didn't want her going with them and voted her off the squad for this mission and replaced her with Shizune, my other apprentice. She must have heard what they said about her inadequate abilities and decided to leave."

Gaara slowly turned his head towards team 7 and intensified his glare until the smallest hint of hazel could be detected in his cold stare. Kakashi and Sai were probably the most scared knowing he was close friends with Naruto and wouldn't kill him but for them there was no guarantee. "What did you say?" He asked slowly his voice dripping with venom and the possible threat of death.

Naruto sighed and stepped forward a bit shielding his teammates. "Gaara, I know you and Sakura were really good friends and you're mad that she left but she was our friend too and we only said what we did because we didn't want her getting hurt on the mission. It was best for everyone if she just stayed back and stuck to the missions where she wouldn't get hurt."

Gaara closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Naruto… do you really have so little faith in your friends?" He asked opening his eyes again.

"Gaara this is Sakura chan we're talking about! What if she were to get hurt bad or injured, what if we couldn't help her what if…" Naruto left the rest of his sentence unfinished unable to even think about her being killed on a mission with them there. "...What if I can't protect her."

"You underestimate her if you think she can't handle herself like that. Do you really think she's so weak that she can't hold her own in a fight without you there to protect her. Don't you remember back in Suna when she fought Sasori? True, Chiyo chan was with her but being as old as she was she couldn't do all that much physically leaving most of the work to Sakura. She came out alive and well then and she has only grown stronger since then. She can easily handle a S rank infiltration mission."

Naruto lowered his head and looked away feeling as though someone just slapped him across the face. It was true what Gaara said, Sakura could do more than just hold her own in a battle and they all knew that.

The truth was that he was just acting selfishly wanting to shelter and protect the emerald eyed kunoichi from harm as if she were a fragile china doll. She looked like one with her pale porcelain colored skin and perfectly almond shaped green eyes, her delicate smile and petal pink hair. She was beautiful just like a doll and so the blue eyed ninja felt the urge to care for her as if she were one. If something were to ever happen to her…he didn't know what he'd do with himself. He simply would not be able to live with himself anymore. She was his reason for life.

"Whatever the reason is, she left and we can't change that at the current moment by bickering like children over a broken toy." Tsunade interrupted seeing the dejected look on Naruto's face. She sighed as she settled herself back down into her chair resting the back of her hands under her chin.

"What do you suggest we do then Tsunade san?" Kakashi asked steeping out from behind Naruto.

The hazel eyed leaf ruler sighed deeply and closed her eyes before replying. "If you're referring to Sakura's departure then…nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?" Sai almost snapped in an angry manner.

"I meant what I said and I said 'nothing'. I trust Sakura fully and as she has stated in her letter she has not abandoned Konoha but has simply taken an extensive vacation of a sorts to train. She said she's coming back and I fully believe her on this, so until then there will be no ANBU squads going out to search for her. Am I understood?"

"...Hai." The group of males excluding Gaara stated in a semi grumpy tone. The Hokage sent Gaara a threatening glare and he grudgingly added his voice to the other's with a glare of his own. Tsunade simply smiled at his response, despite the reluctant tone and death glare at the end.

"Good, now as for our dear fellow kunoichi, from now on Sakura chan is on an A ranked training mission until further notice."

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Sakura sneezed entering her room and frowned.

"I must be coming down with something." She thought.

* * *

Ta da! (Smoke and confettie blow in to the air)

I made it long so you wouldn't come after me wanting to kill me with pitchforks and torches due to the slow updateing. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible but I will be away for another three to four days and will be unable to get to a computer with internet in that time. So I'm very sorry about that. Still I hope you liked this chapter and don't hate me too much.

Please remember to review! Reviewing makes me update faster. Yeah I know this was fast for me. Flame me if you want. I don't mind.

ja ne


	5. Summer Nights

AN:/ Well I think I made you wait long enough.

Please review!

Disclaimer:/ The author known as Vesper chan dose not own legal right over the Naruto manga, anime or any part of the Naruto merchandise and/or it's profits.

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**Chapter Five**

**Summer Nights**

X

X

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_The moths beat themselves  
To death againts the lights  
Adding their breeze to the summer nights  
Outside, water like air was great_

_X_

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_X_

Sakura ran a few of her long slender fingers threw her mid length rose colored locks that were now a few short inches longer than they had been a few months ago when she left her village. It had a slight wave to it now and was currently framing her face in a wispy appearance, void of her outgrown bangs. A gentle summer breeze swept past her porcelain colored face playing with her cherry colored locks, urging them to join them in their dance. She breathed in happily enjoying the fresh sent of pine that surrounded her.

She was currently resting against the side of a tree, sitting on one of it's higher branches completely content with her position. Her left leg swayed slightly as it hung over the tree's branch slightly obscured by her long brown cloak that now sported a few tears and burn marks along the edges. She didn't bother to mend the tattered garment of it's blemishes, she liked it like that.

She fingered a small tear closer to her shoulder and smiled in remembrance as a not so distant memory descended upon her concuss. This one was from that assignation mission she had completed for a rich Lord who wanted to 'punish' a man he had leant money out to without receiving any sort of payment many months later. He was not pleased to say the least.

The man she was sent to take care of was currently very well off with his own chain of night clubs and drug smugglers. He had a few body guards that she found amusing but nothing close to a decant workout. The one who had managed to slice her cloak now lay far beneath the earth's surface as punishment for daring to attempt anything close to an attack.

Most of the men fled in fear with cries of 'it's the Poison yukionna, Hitokiri of the tainted wings or even Tenshi of the black eyes.' Nick names that sent fear into the hearts of men and quite frankly she was very proud of all of them. Her favorite one out of the many she had been given was 'dokubutsu ga' which meant poisoned moth.

Most of her time she spent training, honing her new power and abilities. She was very proud with the results she displayed over such a short amount of time. After all killing a man by just touching him was not something many could boast about.

Her speed and agility skyrocketed soon after her departure much to her delight and somewhat dismay. She had so much potential that was just… just wasted all these years. She was never pushed in any way to achieve anything aside from her training with Tsunade, so these results never came forth. If they had she could have been so much stronger than she was now.

But alas, the past is the past and can not be changed. With that she let out a content sigh and let her back slide further down the tree's rough bark. The sun was setting now kissing the evening sky ever so slightly as it continued it's descend down the heavens embracing a honey yellow glow fringed with pink. Soon it would be night and she would be active.

Sadly she still needed money for food and other necessaries she chose not to live without and that money didn't grow on trees. It was another assassination mission for a group of rebels held under a tyrant's thumb for too long. Her objective was to single handedly infiltrate his lavish home at midnight, sneak silently and kill all of his guards before finally killing the fat old man herself. It would be a fairly challenging task but she welcomed the challenge.

Swinging her legs underneath her slim body she pushed herself up letting her tattered cloak fall around her happy it was so concealing. The day was dying and soon night would come. Lifting her hand she smiled as a faded blue moth settled on her index finger.

"Soon my darlings, soon you will have you fun," she softly cooed stroking it's soft velvety wings with tenderness. "Soon, very soon."

With those comforting tender words the faded blue moth lifted it's wings letting a wind lift him into the air as it floated softy through the warm summer's nigh air.

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Darkness soon descended upon the oppressed village pierced only by the light of a crescent moon. Midnight stuck and with silence a dozen soldiers fell dead, void of any bodily wounds or injuries.

A shadow walked down the long corridor with much pride, not even bothering to conceal herself. A pale almost invisible fog like substance with a hint of silver to it surrounded her as she approached the second wing where another dozen guards were waiting for her. When she turned the corner she was pleased to find twelve dead bodies laying lifelessly on the ground surrounded by the same sickly mist. She smiled sinisterly to herself with satisfaction.

Sakura smiled evilly underneath the shadow of her hood in satisfaction. Two ore wings to go before she could advance to e second floor. Then there would only e two wings waiting for her. After she completed that job she could advance to the third floor where the doomed tyrant waited for her most likely asleep in his lavished bed that cost more than what the entire village could afford.

Quickening her pace she confidently strut down he halls letting the poisonous mist that surrounded her kill off the next two dozen for her. The airy substance that surrounded her was filled with a deadly poison that once inhaled, would instantly kill. She owed her precious tea cup months for this toxic spore that surrounded her. She inhaled it deeply pleased with it's order less smell. No, she could not die from the poison since she was somehow linked with the moths and their immunity to their own poison and for that she was grateful. Logically if she wasn't she wouldn't be alive at the moment.

Stepping over another body she ascended the stairs, her cloak trailing behind her. By now she could hear the hurried footsteps of guards running back and forth in a panic. One of them must have seen the bodies and alerted the others. No matter, she was planning on making her presence known to them sooner or later. After all if she just used her poison to kill them all that would leave her with no one to play with.

Her smile only grew when she heard one of the guards shout, "We must leave while we still can. It's the Poison yukionna! She's come to kill us we are all doomed!"

"Taro get a hold of yourself we must stand and fight."

Turning down the hallway she calmly continued her walk not even flinching when she saw twelve fully armed guards waiting for her, prepared for the fight that was destined to take place. She didn't waver as four kunai were thrown, aimed for her head. She simply smiled sidestepping to the right turning her body sideways as the kunai passed by her head only barely nicking the edge of her hood above the eyes.

With a wave of her hand two of the guards fell dead, their stricken faces rolling to the floors as their heads left their body. Another wave of her hand and three more fell dead with poisoned needles sticking out of their guts. Another five fell as she dodged the sword swipes and jabs aimed for her untouchable body that seemed to move like a shadow in the darkness.

Two were left standing and she smiled guessing that they were the scared boy that cried out about her, and the captain of the fallen quad that scolded him earlier.

"Demon you shall not pass, you days end here." The gruff sounding man cried unsheathing his sword and charging at her. Her eyes were half lidded in a board expression as her chakra enhanced twine stopped him in his tracks catching him in it's iron hold.

"You call me demon yet you know not who or what I am. Tell me, why is that?" She asked taking a steep forward, seeing that the boy made no move towards her whether lacking the courage to do so or maybe possessing the wisdom not to.

"You kill my men without a second though and show no remorse for the fallen even though they sacrificed their lives protecting our honorable lord who- ugh!" His explanations were cut off as her twin tightened around his body drawing a bit of blood.

"Honorable? You think that fat pompous is honorable? I pity you for you blindness for money and greed. You say I am a demon because I hide my emotions yet Shinobi and kunoichi kill everyday without so much as a bat of the eye, as it should be done. They are not demons nor am I. If anyone is the demon it is you. You have lived long enough, it is time you perished." And with those words her twine pulled sharply and quickly cutting his body into pieces that fell limply to the floor, drenched in blood.

Sakura turned towards the boy from before who was now cowering like a little sheep knowing he would die. He fell to the floor his head to touching ground as tears flowed from his eyes. "Please do not kill me, I do not wish to die, please I want to live!" He pleaded.

Sakura kneeled down in front of him and tilted her head. "What is your name boy?"

"M-My...my name is Taro miss, I am but thirteen years." He replied nervously still not bothering to lift his eyes from the floor.

"Tell me Taro, do you think I am a demon? And do not lie to me telling me no just so you will escape with your life, I want you to tell me why." Sakura commanded.

"...N-No, I do not think you are a demon and t-this is why; you kill yes but this a normal part of life. I...I d-do not believe you killed because you enjoyed it but because it was necessary. A demon would k-kill for pleasure, you did not." The boy lifted his eyes slowly as if waiting to be killed.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Well said for this you shall live. But for now I can't have you causing a commotion so…"She gingerly pressed his forehead letting a spore that covered her hands transfer to his skin. He soon lost consciousness and fell over. "I know that when you wake you will tell tales of the Poison yukionna that killed with ease and yet found mercy for you."

With that said she gracefully stepped over his fallen body continuing on her way. She stopped at the bottom of a small flight of stairs leading up to the third floor that served as a large bedroom for the tyrant. Not bothering to use the handle she kicked the door open using her inhuman strength channeled into her leg. The loud bang of the door falling to the floor woke up the sleeping bundle in the middle of the king sized bed. The sleeping figure angrily hopped out of bed grabbing a knife from under his pillow reliving himself to be a stout little man on the overweight side.

"How dare you interrupt my slumber! Who are you, and why are you here?" The fat old man bellowed in his anger.

Sakura merely blinked in a board fashion flicking two of her finger in front of her face sending his knife flying from his hands across the floor due to her invisible chakra strings. Now unarmed the old tyrant became a bit frightened but tried to hide the fear that filled his mind.

"My true name is irrelevant and will mean nothing to you, but to put an end to your question you may know me as the Poison yukionna, killer of many." Sakura calmly stated.

Hearing her words fear completely overwhelmed the fat tyrant as he fell to his knees and began to cry like a little child promising her gold and jewels if she let him live. Sakura took a few steep closer to the old man and pulled a kunai out from inside her sleeve.

"Please just let me live I don't want to die! I can give you anything you want just don't kill me I don't want to die, please don't kill me!" He groveled sniffling like a infant. "I'll do anything just let me live!"

"Beg you trash." Sakura harshly commanded as the man threw himself to the floor continuing his desperate cries and pleas for mercy. "Filth." She muttered to herself before plunging her dagger deep into his skull silencing him forever.

His body fell over limp and dead a trail of crimson liquid snaking across the floor around his head. Sakura frowned and in a split second flung another kunai across the room imbedding it into the wall.

"You can come out now I've already sensed and memorized you chakra signature." She called keeping her body facing forward.

She heard the clapping of hands and turned to see a man emerging from the shadows dressed in ninja attire. "Well done darling, I'm impressed that you recognized me so early."

"Cut the complements, you'll get nowhere with flattery. What do you want with me?" She sneered.

"You don't waist any time do you 'eh? Well I won't either, I work for someone who might be interested in your abilities." He then kicked the side of the dead tyrant she had killed moments before. "He already has two other people for the job and needs a third. He's willing to pay you handsomely for your efforts, it would be a mistake to deny such a generous offer."

Sakura coxed her head to the side resting a finger on her chin. "I'm listening."

The other man smiled clearly pleased. "Be at the northern gates of this village three days from today an hour before midnight, one of my subordinates will be waiting for you there with details on the mission. Until then darling…" With a flourished bow the man disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Well, seems like I'll be set for a while now won't I?" She mused waiting a while before lifting her arms up separating the flaps of her cloak the reveal hundreds of little moths that flew eagerly out of her cloak flocking to the dead bodies downstairs. "Leave this one," she commanded point to the tyrant. "The villagers want him intact sadly."

A few of her moths hovered around her head circling it in a delicate dance before following the rest down the stirs where the dead bodies lay waiting for them. Sakura could still hear the humming of their wings as the flew even more graciously than butterflies.

Bending over she grabbed to color of his shirt and began to drag the heavy dead man down the stairs not even blinking when she saw the half eaten corps of her victims. "My babies must have been hungry tonight." She mused continuing on her way down the hall leaving a smeared trail of blood behind her.

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Back in Konoha Gai's team consisting of Neji, Lee, Tenten and of course Gai slowly stumbled through the gates. It was well past midnight and their extensive five month mission was finally over. It was expected to last only a month or two at the most but the hadn't counted on a few…obstacles to suddenly pop up out of nowhere like they had.

Neji yawned and stretched his arms above his head in a sleepy manner. His pearl colored eyes slightly closed in exhaustion. The cool summer breeze played through his long chocolate colored locks as he listened to Lee rant on and on about how he was happy to be able to see his youthful spring blossom again. Actually the part about wanting to see Sakura again slightly got on his nerves. Sure the green clad boy had been spouting off about her for years but lately it was getting him really ticked.

Speaking of the cherry haired damsel, he hadn't forgotten his promise to her that was made before he had to leave on that infernal mission. In the mornings everyday the two would meet and spar together, the daily exercise was greatly beneficial to both of them and he had grown forward to their little training sessions. He promised her before he left that they would continue their daily ritual once he got back.

Now that he was back he was ready to see that promise through. Thinking about her again brought a slight flush of pink to his cheeks. Even after all these years of knowing her he still wasn't strong enough to resist the flush of coloring that was so commonly found with most other males she knew.

"…And then I will do 700 laps around Konoha then Sakura chan will finally fall in love with me!" Neji heard Lee chant with stars in his eyes. The prodigy growled and rubbed his brow. Lee's chanting was really starting to get to him.

"You do that Lee, I'm going home to rest, see 'ya latter guys." Tenten mumbled stumbling off towards her home as best she could with what little energy she had left.

It was funny even after a super long and dangerous mission that pushed them to their limits Lee still resembled a squirrel high on crack. It seemed like there was nothing that could bring his spirits down at the moment. And of course Gai sensei only encouraged this 'youthful' behavior despite that face that it was past midnight and yelling at the top of you lungs 'YOUTH' was not the best way to make friends with the neighbors. Regardless this was who they were and no amount of fate or destiny was going to change it.

Neji mumbled his goodbyes as well and started the short walk towards his apartment located off to the side of the main branch's main house. Soon he would be in bed resting. It sounded so good compared to makeshift tents and hard earth floors and her eagerly anticipated the change.

After he was rested he would wake up and meet Sakura for their training spar. He subconsciously smiled to himself thinking about the petal haired beauty. He was really looking forward to seeing her again, it seemed like forever since he had last seen her smiling face. That mission was too long for his taste and if he could help it he would tend to stay away from long term missions. Being away just didn't seem that desirable to him at the moment.

After all, training with her was helping him improve on his own taijutsu. He had to admit despite the frail appearance Sakura was a force to be reckoned with. When you first saw her you would tend to think that this darling little doll couldn't hurt a fly if she wanted to but when it came down to it, she could do more than that. She could very well take you out in one hit and if you gave her the tinniest opening she would not hesitate to do so.

Neji frowned when he heard another 'youthful' cry from his green clan jumpsuit wearing friend a ways away. Something else about his Sakura chan falling in love with him if he did one thousand pushups. Shaking his head he wondered would Lee's reaction would be if he ever found out he was training with his long time crush behind his back. Just to be on the safe side both he and Sakura decided not to let Lee know. Heaving forbid, he had seen Lee after a small swing of sake and his anger would most likely work the same way.

Kicking his sandals off by the door the chocolate haired Jonin sleepily stumbled into his bedroom where his soft comfy bed waited for him. He smiled falling back into the mattress letting his eyes fall shut and stay shut. His mind now somewhere far off caught up in the wonders of the realm of sleep.

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(Hands you a cookie for reading the whole chapter) I like giving out cookies.

I started a form with info on a bunch of story ideas I have. Maybe one or two ideas that need to be adopted will be posted in the future but for now it's stories I have just started writing. So if you want to see that please go ahead.

**Please review!**

ja ne you lovely people


	6. Red Clouds

**Chapter Six**

**Red Clouds**

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Chasing shadows slipping

in a magic lantern slide

Creatures of the candle

on a night-light-ride.

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Sakura quietly glided down from one of the higher branches of a tree to a crouching position on a lower branch keeping her hardened eyes fixed on the northern gates where she was told to meet that man's subordinate for a mission. She let her hand leave a thin almost invisible wire before jumping down from her hiding spot assisted by the darkness of the night.

It was close to midnight, forty five minuets maybe, thus making her late.

She didn't really care.

They needed her not the other way around and so they would have to abide by her terms for now. If she felt like being a few stinking minuets late than she was going to be a few stinking minuets late.

"Your finally here. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show." Someone called from within the darkness.

Sakura turned her head lazily in that direction and glared at the skinny man that was waiting for her. "I come and go when I want to. _No one _can control me." She spoke in a threatening tone of voice putting an emphasis on the word 'no one' making the man slightly cower.

"Oh of course, now on to other matters. We have to make sure that you are good enough for the job of course…" He began gaining confidence. "And if it were up to me I would say you are not, after all who would be so blind to fall into such an obvious trap."

The man then disappeared as six ball like objects were thrown into the air before exploding to let loose a array of a million deadly tipped senbon needles all aimed at her. In the split of a second they were set loose shooting towards her gleaming wickedly.

Sakura couldn't run even if she wanted to due to the chakra enhanced rope around her ankles that snaked up and clasped around her wrists preventing her from performing any hand signs.

Her eyes widened in that split second, reflecting the deadly gleam in the needles as the sprang towards her unprotected body.

A large cloud was raised into the air obscuring the terrain momentarily.

"Such a pity really, we were hoping for so much ore too." the man mocked as the cloud slowly drifted away.

When the smoke completely cleared he was shocked beyond belief to see what was before him. Sakura was still there tied and bound beyond movement without a scratch on her. The needles lay limply around her deflected by some invisible force. Sakura lazily turned her threatening gaze up to meet his as the rope around her body began to hiss and steam before it melted away.

"Did you really think I would be that stupid? Honestly you were so painfully obvious it was heartbreaking. Sure I could have just sent a clone in but I though since you have such little faith in my abilities that a demonstration was in order. Now would you like me to kill you as well or have you seen enough?" Sakura asked irritated, lifting a outstretched hand in his direction.

You didn't need to be a Nara to see that she was ticked at his actions.

Really ticked.

"No…no, no, that will not be necessary! I can see you are adequate for the job." He quickly replied as a cold fear too over him blundering his words terribly making his fear painfully obvious.

Sakura paused and straightened up, coming out of her lazy looking attack stance and cracked her neck. The invisible wire that surrounded her made a zipping sound as it quickly recoiled into a small coil within her cloak.

"What a shame…I was hoping for some blood." She murmured quietly, smirking as she received the desired effects of fear gripping the man once again."Stop standing there like such a baka and lead me wherever you are to lead me to. I am not a patient person and I would hate to be kept waiting."

"Yes, of course. Follow me." He stated leading her around the side of the wall where a fancy carriage drawn by two black steeds waited for them. "Please step inside and we will be on our way dokubutsu ga."

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Neji inhaled deeply and exhaled in frustration, his normally calm pearl colored eyes betrayed the turmoil his mind was going through.

Too many things were going wrong today.

He was distressed to find out that the day after arriving home he had sleep in terribly missing half the day as well as his possible spar with Sakura.

The same thing almost happened the second day but he managed to wake up before it was _too _late. Sadly his cherry colored sparring partner was not at their usual training grounds to meet him. The first time he shrugged it off but the following day when she didn't show up he became concerned, leading him to where is he today.

By this time he was extremely concerned.

He had stopped by her apartment room only to find her seemingly new looking door locked and after a half hour of banging and waiting the landlord chased him out of his building forcing him to leave with only more worry.

He then tracked down a few of her friends and asked them about her but they didn't have any idea where she was. His worry only grew when they told him they hadn't seen her in her in a long time.

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_"You know, I haven't seen Sakura chan in a few months not that you mention it, Neji. I heard that her team went on a pretty tough mission without her and she was kind of down about it but other than that I haven't heard from her." _Ino had told him when he stopped by her flower shop._ "Aside from that I'm always free for a spar Neji san!"_

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"How can your best friend go mission for months without you noticing?" He growled under his breath.

He quickly turned down a side road towards the Hokage tower where he was sure to get some answers.

Tsunade looked up from her papers when the sound of someone knocking on her door reached her ears. "Come in." She called shuffling through a few of her papers, trying to make her work area appear neater.

Hearing the Hokage's voice Neji opened the door and stepped through, into her office, bowing in respect a few feet away from her desk. "Hokage sama." He greeted formally.

"Neji san, what brings you here so soon? It can't be a mission. I know how eager you were to return here from Guy's reports." She stated formally picking up her tea cup that was really filled with sake.

"Your apprentice."

Tsunade went numb briefly as the ceramic cup fell from her lifeless fingers crashing to the floor shattering into a million tiny pieced landing everywhere. She shivered slightly before laughing lightly.

"Oh dear I hope this doesn't stain, there was still some tea in there." She replied with a fake smile as she bent down to pick up the larger shards of her broken cup.

Neji frowned seeing right through her fake smile. "Hokage sama, I came her to ask you about Sakura san. Would you by any chance happen to know where se is at the moment?"

The tall blond woman stood up straight and coughed, clearing her throat. "I'm afraid all I can tell you Neji san is that Sakura chan is on a mission. Other that that everything is confidential. Please don't push for any more information because you won't get any."

"Hai, I understand you Tsunade sama. But….please just answer me this one question." Neji almost pleaded taking a steep forward. "When will she be back?"

Tsunade sighed as a sad expression swept over her features, you could read the raw sorrow that lingered in her almond colored eyes. "I'm sorry Neji san…but even I don't know."

"I see." Neji murmured as sadness entered his eyes as well.

Tsunade looked up from her seat and looked at the boy with chocolate colored hair that reached his waist. Her eyes narrowed as a question entered her mind. "Now tell me Neji san, why would you want to know this about my dear little Sakura chan?"

Neji's head snapped up into attention as a faint blush crawled across his face, whether this small flush it was due to embarrassment or just the thought of Sakura Tsunade knew not. "S…She and I used to spar everyday. I was looking forward to doing so with her again, that is all."

Tsunade gave him a yeah-right-you-can't-get-me-with-that look but said nothing thinking enviously about how many men her daughter like apprentice had subconsciously attracted without her knowledge. "Are you certain that is all Neji san?" She asked resting her chin on the top of her folded hands. She smirked seeing his almost invisible blush increase a tiny bit.

"Yes, of course that is all." He replied hesitantly knowing he was lying.

"Tell me Neji, dose Lee know about these sparring matches?" She asked.

Neji shook his head to the side knowing what would happen if that did happen.

"What about the rest of Team 7? If not I think you should tell them. They have been doubting her strength as a ninja lately and I think that put her out a bit." Tsunade stopped a little shocked as she looked up at furious looking Neji that was giving off a strong angered aura.

"They what?" He snarled as anger flashed through his eyes.

_'How dare they_?' he thought as he turned on his heel running out the door searching for a certain group of ninja that needed a piece of his mind.

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Sakura let her cheek rest against the back of her hand as she sighed heavily for the hundredth's time that night it seamed. "Could this stupid coach be any slower?" She grumbled like a little child.

No sooner had the words left her moth, than the carriage she was riding came to a sudden halt.

"Eh, are we there yet?" She asked herself sitting up and turning towards the door, waiting for it to open.

The small square box she was riding in had no windows and only one door with a handle on the outside so she couldn't escape or evade their trapped box. She wasn't stupid, she checked door anything that could cause her harm but there appeared to be nothing that would threaten her existence at the moment so she relaxed for the time being catching up on a bit of meditation.

She let her eyes slid towards the door when she heard the door handle jiggle from the outside before finally opening to reveal the scared little man from before.

"Yes?" She asked slowly, her silky smooth voice coated with a thin layer of icy coldness.

"Uh, we have arrived at the desired destination dokubutsu ga san." He replied keeping his voice level despite the obvious nervousness of being in the presence of such a powerful human.

"About time too." She slightly growled standing up and exiting the carriage, her tattered brown cloak trailing after her in a wispy weightless fashion.

Sakura tilted her head upward and stared up at the tall castle like house before her. It was still very dark so she couldn't make out all that much but she could see that is was very exquisite looking and must have cost a fortune to build or buy.

Sakura let her fairy like midnight black eyes dark back and forth beneath her hood searching for any possible trap that could be waiting for her. She was always cautious of the possible danger that could follow her anywhere. She had to be, with assassin showing up in the most unusable of places trying to exterminate her for good. She did after all have a very large bounty on her head from all her assignations that any rouge or S class nin would be envious of.

Her attention was brought back to the present time and place after hearing her nick name called a few times. "Yes?" She growled turning around to glare at the frightened man, smirking at his pitiful attempt to make himself appear more brave that he was.

"T…This way miss," the man that was with her stated opening the front door with a deep bow.

Sakura nodded and stepped past him into the dimly lit hallways. In and out and through hallways he led her leading her only God knows where. After a while he stopped in front of a pair of large oak double doors. his was strange since the style was western and not Japanese like the rest of the house.

"Here?" She asked sharply making the man flinch before nodding. Sakura looked at him then the door, then him, then the door again. "Well aren't you going to knock?" She asked. He simply shook his head. "Men," she muttered to herself before rising a baled fist and knocking herself.

After a brief moment of silence the doors creaked open for her in a intimidating way.

She gave one last glance to the scared man and shrugged before heading inside, the large double doors slamming shot behind her. She didn't even blink from the loud sound of slamming doors as she continued advancing down the elongated hallway that was occasionally lit by a crimson flickering torch that danced away the darkness for a short distance before it's light grew too thin. Her long dark lashes descended over her eyes lifting to reveal her fairy like ink black orbs that darted about her surroundings.

At the end of the hallway she spotted a matt on the ground surrounded by bamboo screens on three sides. Assessing that this mat was here for her she bent her legs underneath her body and seated herself in silence waiting for something to break it.

Her perfectly almond shaped emerald eyes open halfway when she noticed three other presences entering her surroundings. Their shadows just barely creeping into her view.

The one in front was a short round man she presumed to be her benefactor an the other two long shadows behind him his full time body guards. Her hands inched a bit closer to her hidden wire she kept inside her cloak, weary of another trap, after all they tried it once. What was stopping them from doing it again? She didn't trust these people in the slightest and was ready the unleash herself if needed.

"Now now there love, there is no need for hostility here. Please save that for your job now won't you?" A voice from behind one of the screens chuckled with amusement.

Sakura relaxed a little but didn't lower her guard in the slightest, still weary of the other two humans with him. "It has come to my attention that you are in need of my services sir?" Sakura calmly spoke keeping her eyes peacefully fixed forward.

"You heard right dear. You see A friend and rival of mine has been becoming increasingly powerful with business and wealth, a bit too powerful for my liking. His business is threatening my own and stealing away all the profit. You see I don't like to loose to anybody and since I can't beat him in business…"

"You want me to take care of him as well as his company?" Sakura asked taking the pause as her cue to speak up.

Chuckling could be heard on the other side of the bamboo screen as the old man laughed heartily. "Yes indeed. You are a clever one. But I don't just want him out of the picture, I want him and his company completely obliterated. Everyone and everything gone."

Sakura shifted a bit feeling the back of her neck press up against her silky dawn tinted locks. What he was implying was a mass murder, a massacre if she understood correctly. If there was such a man to rival this one's power and wealth then his own home must be swarming with guards and his own personal assassins. What he wanted her to do wouldn't be easy in any way shape or form and would most likely exhaust her.

"How many is everyone?" She coolly asked keeping her voice from betraying her emotions.

She could almost feel him smirk with satisfaction or some other sick glee. "Around seven to eight hundred I would imagine." he chuckled.

Sakura's eyes widened behind her hood in shock. Okay she'll admit she was good but not _that _good. There was no way she could take out that many men all on her own. She might be able to cut that number in half but still that left another four hundred. What was this guy thinking.

"Excuse me but did I hear you correctly?" Sakura asked feeling cheated a bit.

Once again his heavy chuckle rippled through the air. "Ha, ha, I bet you thought I was sending you in there alone. Do not worry darling you will not be alone, you will have two companions with you to help."

Sakura nodded to herself remembering something about two other partners going with her to help with the invasion. But just how good were they to holdup against seven to eight hundred body guards? She doubted they would hold up as well as she would. But then again with that kind of money you never know.

"When do I get to meet these two then?" Sakura asked after a brief moment of silence.

"In a few minuets, if I am not mistaken their ride just arrived a few minuets ago and they should be entering this room any minuet now."

"Are you going to tell me who my partners are or will I have to wait until they both get here?"

"Aww now I wouldn't want to spoil the fun for you now would I? Sorry darling, but you'll just have to wait a bit longer for them to show up. It won't be long now."

"Whatever, what about my mission. Where will it take place and how would you like me to execute it?" Sakura asked pushing down her annoyance and bringing her mind back to business.

"Your mission will take place tomorrow night starting at sundown. The desired location is thirty seven miles east of my estate. You can't miss the building it's the only thing in twenty some miles. As for how you execute your plans, it's up to you as long as you get the job done. You can leave the bodies and building intact or burn it for all I care. All I care about is that the job is done and his business is no more." The voice on the other side of the screen spoke sternly.

" I understand and I can guarantee you that I will carry out your orders without fail, all I ask is to let one survivor escape the chaos."

"Oh, and why do you wish for such a thing? I though for sure you were the ruthless killer from all the rumors floating around about you."

Sakura remained silent for a brief moment as memories of previous nights at a pub or bar where she could catch up on the latest gossip and rumors. She always loved hearing about herself from the lips of others.

They spoke of the black eyed monster that emerged purely from the earth with only a drive to kill. Most of the rumors were complete nonsense but she didn't care. Some even spoke of her saying she was a winged demon that escaped from the netherworld to kill and ravage anyone that came across her path. Those were the more exaggerated rumors, most were about her being a missing nin from various villages that grew too powerful for loyalty. Some even said she didn't exist and her attacks were just planned that way to look like it was done by only one human.

"I want one survivor to escape alive to tell stories of the ruthless killing and carnage of the legendary dokubutsu ga. And who knows, it just might increase the bounty on my head." Sakura replied as her red full lips pulled back into a mischievously malevolent smile.

Chuckling invaded her hearing as her smile fell. That laughing didn't belong to the man behind the screen, it belonged to whoever just entered the room. "You really are blood thirsty, yeah?" The voice asked.

"Ah dokubutsu ga, meet your temporary partners for this mission. Dederia and Tobi from the Akatsuki."

Sakura hesitantly turned her head to see two tall looking men clad in black cloaks with red clouds dotting the black fabric. One was blond with a long bang covering his left eye and the other wore a orange mask to cover her entire face aside for his one eye.

"Hey yeah?" Deidara greeted with a bright smile and a wave.

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_"Oh Shit I'm screwed..."_

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R.I.P Dei chan, you will live on in fanfiction forever! -Sob- I miss him so much. I was so mad at Sasuke for living that I wnted to kill him myself! (I still do) But then what else is new. Deidara was so much cooler than Sasuke. Okay! Moving on... 

Up yeah chapter what...six? As you could have guess I typed this a while ago...-- a long while ago. When Deidara was still alive. It took forever to clean up and fix so that it sis't sound like something a third grader wrote in class. But yeah here it is. I hope you enjoyed it since it took a while to work over/clean up. I liked the last line with Sakura's thoughts. I know dirty little head ain't it? And yeahI know she's OOC but I'm working on making her more human. Remember it's her moths that fight for her most of the time.

And I know you people are super busy and all but it would mean a whole lot to me if you would review.

So review pretty please! Flames welcome.

ja ne lovely people


	7. Explosions

Disclaimer:/I _want_ to own Naruto

Please Review! It makes the updates faster.

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Chapter Seven

Explosions

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Life's too long as the Lemming said

as the candle burned and the Moths were wed.

And we'll all burn together as the wick grows higher

Before the candle's dead.

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Sakura fingered a few of her kunai making certain that the fat moth shaped charms that dangled from the knife's circular end were secure. Smirking in satisfaction she hid the weapons away on a hip pocket were they would be most accessible. Their tops only barely peaking out of the dark black fabric that clung to her body.

It was a few hours before sunset and the petal haired assassin was making a few last minuet checks before she and her two partners set out on the mission. Her cloak's hood was set neatly on the top of her head, revealing her calm porcine shaded face. The rest of the tattered fabric fell like a cloud around her feet, still slightly dragging.

She mentally cursed her shortness knowing she would take it back in a few moments. She liked being short. Part of her thinking came from how tall Ino was standing next to her.Tall and taunting and in every way perfect, unlike herself.

Sakura couldn't help but twitch a bit in irritation once again as the two men's shadows fell over her, their heads bent over her shoulder inspecting her now hidden work.

"Could you not do that?" she grudgingly asked trying not to lash out and kill the two.

It was a real struggle and if they didn't loosen up and give her some room she couldn't promise that they would come out in one piece.

"What are you doing yeah?" The tall blond clay expert asked not bothering to move anywhere.

"I'm getting ready for our mission. What dose it look like I'm doing?" She growled drawing her tattered brown cloak closer to her thin frame and taking a steep away from the two. "Are you two both ready?"

"Dederia sempi and I are both ready for departure dokubutsu ga san." The orange masked man replied a bit more politely than his partner with a slight bow in respect.

Sakura lazily raised an eyebrow at the sight of respect and politeness. Some how she didn't expect an S class ex nin would be anything other than rude and blood thirsty, apparently she was wrong.

"Whatever, we still have an hour or so before we need to leave, I doubt it will take us hat long to travel seven miles."

"What are you suggesting yeah?" Dederia asked.

"I'm not suggesting anything. All I'm saying is that we have a while before we need to leave. Don't you two have something you could do without me having to be there?"

"Nope, yeah." Dederia happily chirped.

Sakura sighed letting her shoulders slump. These two guys were really impossible to deal with. She remembered the first time she met them, last night, she thought they would be a little more cold or distant but she couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact they both reminded her of Naruto's old attitude, Dederia being the more sensible of the two.

"Clingy like Naruto too." She muttered shaking her head recalling how she barely had a minuet to herself aside from the time when she took a short mediation nap. And even then, the only reason they left her alone was because they needed their sleep as well.

"Did you say something yeah?" Dederia asked materializing at her side.

"Gah, no! Gee don't you two have something you could be doing right now aside from bugging me?" She growled in frustration at the lack of personal room.

"We told you, yeah."

Sakura breathed deeply hoping to calm her fidgeting nerves. "Yeah, yeah, yea I know but can't you two find something to do to amuse yourselves for a few moments?"

"Okay!" Tobi chirped happily and Sakura couldn't help but smile thinking she would have a few moments to herself. "How about we all play a game then." That hope came crashing down.

"A…a game?" She stuttered out trying to keep her left eye from twitching too much. "Aren't we all a bit too old for that? That's kind of childish…" Sakura was really only annoyed with the fact that she would have to playa game with them. Naruto and her played games with their friends all the time and she was the one who proposed the idea over half the time.

"Nah, Tobi and I play games all the time. Oh, oh I got a good one, yeah. You two both sit down and I'll be right back…." Deidara then rushed off to return a half second latter with a bottle in hand.

"We are not playing spin the bottle!" Sakura said backing up a bit from the two on the floor. There was no way in hell she would play _that_ game with _anyone_.

"Nah, not the way you think. We'll play spin the bottle secrets, every time the bottle lads on you, you have to share a secret yeah." Dederia chuckled allowing Sakura to inch closer.

Nodding to Dederia Sakura let the artistic blond spin the bottle. Who knows he might gain some voluble information she could take back to Leaf. But then they could find out something of inportance from her. She would just have to keep the secrets very personal and make sure they had nothing to do with her work.

The clear coke shaped bottle slowed down coming to a spot in front of Tobi causing Sakura to sigh in relief.

"Okay Tobi tell a secret, yeah."

"What should Tobi say?"

"…Oh, oh tell us something Kisame dared you to do when you and a bunch of other guys were playing truth and dare without me yeah!"

Tobi stuttered a bit and Sakura could have sworn he was blushing but then you could never tell what was behind the orange mask of his. Kind of like Kakashi. Oh, now she really wanted to rip it off and see what was behind. She never was able to get Kakashi to pull down his navy blue mask and expose what ever it was that was behind it. But Naruto had once told her he had seen it when Kakashi was at the hotsprings. But for some odd reason the fox boy wouldn't say anything more than that.

"...Nah, okay Kisame dared Tobi to…sin_gBarbiegirlkaraokestyleinfrontofeveryoneatthebase_." He answered real fast.

Sakura's hands instantly flew to her lips in an effort to conceal her fighting laughter. Kisame dared Tobi to sing Barbie girl karaoke style in a game of truth or dare? Somehow the idea of a bunch of S class criminals and murderers playing truth and dare and singing songs like Barbie girl was not something she would have thought up on her own.

"Do you guys play truth or dare a lot?" Sakura asked, her feminine curiosity getting the better of her. She just had to know.

"Y-yeah a bit, w-whenever missions are slow... Finally, it's my turn to spin." Said Tobi spinning to bottle while keeping his face down like a sky child would. It spun rapidly before decreasing to s slow turn that fell on Dederia. "You turn, do a childhood memory!"

Dederia leaned back for a moment holding his chin while thinking intently. "Okay yeah , when I was little My mom used to dress me up in dresses 'cause she wanted a girl. After I grew up a bit she stopped, but I still like wearing the dresses so I didn't."

"You still do that?" Sakura asked eagerly leaning over. Dederia stuttered and turned his face away.

"Of course not I'm a man, not a woman!"

"I'm not saying anything like that." Sakura replied trying to keep her chuckle down to a minimum so as not to offend the blond artist.

Tobi leaned over towards Sakura and whispered in her ear. "I've seen him before. He still dose, but he doesn't let anyone know cause he's afraid they'll think he's gay and he's not. Trust me he has walls covered with pin ups of models and such. He says it's to save money on wallpaper."

Sakura giggles but was silenced as the spinning bottle fell on her. "Your turn yeah!" The blue eyed male cried in what sounded like joy.

Sakura groaned leaning back and though for a moment. "What should I say?"

"Something about your love life yeah!" Dederia chirped scooting closer to the pink haired assassin as did Tobi.

"My love life? Oh wow, well, when I was little I had a crush on this boy but that dissolved as I grew older, he was a real jerk and a creep and I guess I only liked him because all the other girls liked him. I don't have anyone now and I'm perfectly fine with it. A lot of the guys I knew all thought I was weak and frail so I don't think I could be with the if they are still like that..."

Sakura's voice trailed off and her eyes took on a hazt green color remembering events before she left.

Good memories.

Bad memories.

Sad memories.

Painful memories.

Memories that made her want to hurt someone.

Memories she would trade for the world.

For some reason almost all of them had one of her boys in it. If it was hitting Narutoover the head for a dumb comment or punching Sai in the face for calling her a hag, or trying to get Kakashi to take off his mask for them. There were times when they made her so mad, and did things that hurt her. But there were times that made her smile and laugh till her sides hurt. There were times she would cry and scream and laugh and they were always there.

"Did anyone ever have any crushes on you?" Tobi asked leaning forward a bit.

Sakura looked up coming out of her mind."Umm my best friend was a guy and when we were younger he never went a day without telling me he loved me and all that crap. The same goes with this other guy the really liked me, but that's pretty much it so for a love life I have none as of now. Not that I'm complaining, I enjoy being single, lots of freedom you know. "

"So you are single yeah?"

"Yeah why? What's it to you?"

"N-nothing I just wanted a straight confession that's all." Dederia replied smirking a bit to himself. "We can start asking questions now if you guys want to spice it up a bit."

Sakura smirked darkly as thoughts and ideas streamed through her mind, letting the bottle spin underneath her long thin fingertips. "Okay you two, your on."

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Sakura fell on Dederia's shoulder as howled of laughter erupted from her darkly colored lips as she joined him in his laughter. One confession after another kept her laughing till her sides hurt. She didn't even notice the many minuets slipped by like seconds as she enjoyed herself. How she wished everyday could be like this, if only that were possible.

"Damn It's time to get going." Sakura groaned straightening herself upright.

"And it was just getting good too." Dederia complained missing the desired weight on his shoulder.

Sakura hopped out the window and hopped across the roof tops of the huge Japanese styled palace until reaching the edge where Dederia and Tobi materialized next to her. The blond artiest pulled open a pouch of clay and began to mold it into a bird to hopped from his palm. After a moment it grew in size to seat two. Not waiting for another word to be said Sakura pushed off the side of the house with her chakra enhanced legs and glided silently into the trees mimicking a shadow to perfection. The thought of blood playing over and over in her mind.

"I could wait." She frowned to herself at the bloody thought.

"Dang I wanted her to rind with me yeah." Mumbled Deidara slumping his shoulders a bit as he watched the said girl zip in and out of the trees with amazing speed and agility. Speed and agility he admired.

"Did you say something Deidara sempai?" Tobi asked climbing onto the bird beside his partner.

"Uh no. I didn't say anything yeah. Shut up and hold on."

-

Within a half hour (thanks to her extraordinary speed) Sakura skit to a halt behind a rather large oak and smiled maliciously at the compound. It was a poorly hidden building sunken into the ground shaped like a "E" with three main entrances. "No wonder the old geezer wanted a three man squad to pull this off." Sakura murmured to herself as Deidara's bird landed a few feet behind her with a soft pat.

"What side are you taking yeah?" He huskily whispered in Sakura's ear causing his warm breath to fan across her slightly exposed neck. Biting down on her bottom lip she pulled up her collar a bit to cover the remaining skin and pointed to the far right entrance.

"Deidara, I think you should go last since your moves tend to be a bit showy. If the other guards on the left and right side see your…art then our cover is blown. Tobi you can take the far left, you and I enter at the same time to cerate as much confusion as possible. Deidara after the alarms are tripped you can strike. You guys okay with that?"

Tobi nodded happily and Deidara smirked holding up another clay bird.

"Good than get into position you two." Sakura hissed out in a whisper while slipping into the shadows and descending down the hill.

Hovering above the ground Sakura darted from shadow to shadow quickly advancing upon the blocked entrance. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Tobi doing the same. Good they were in perfect synch. Sakura drew to a halt before the large metal door before her guarded by two and started to let a purple colored fog creep out from the edges of her cloak. In a matter of seconds two dull thuds greeted her ears signaling her success.

Grabbing a key card off of the dead guards she quickly swiped it just as Tobi's door began to open. Right on time a loud explosion sounded around the middle gate allowing a giant clay bird to fly straight in. A few guards rushed at her but the mist she sent ahead of her quickly brought them to their knees. Not wanting to kill all of enemies off to quickly Sakura stopped pouring the mist out from underneath her cloak and pulled off her gloves exposing her hands. One guard came at her and she pivoted her attack while touching him on the cheek. A dark red pattern spread across his face in an instant from her fingertips before disappearing as quickly as it came.

"What the…?" He moaned as his body failed him and he fell to the cold hard earth.

"Poison. My whole body is cursed with it. All I need to do is touch you to kill you. Don't dream about an antidote. It's a spratic disease without a cure."

"P…poison y…yukionna." The man gasped in disbelief as his last words were whisked away.

"Goodnight." She hushed letting her eyes turn completely black with malice dancing freely within them.

Her fingertips began to turn from their healthy pale pink to a tainting red as poison started to drip from them. That man had a few moments to live after she touched him since her poison was buried beneath her flesh but now she was bringing it out. She was letting loose and she expected to see blood spilled.

"I'm done holding back, no one gets out alive." She darkly growled dashing forward with her reflecting black eyes of coal flashing the promise of death and blood.

Another body fell lifeless at her feet joining the countless other corps that lay surrounding her. Blood running down her cheek from a little scratch she received when one of the more skilled guards decided to use his head and not loose his guts at the sight of her.

"Fun." She mumbled to herself running a black ad white checkered nail over the cut letting the bright crimson liquid trail down her fingers and off her wrist. "I wonder if Deidara and Tobi are done with their sides. I don't think it was too difficult for them. These guards were very poorly trained a gennin could take one down with minimal trouble. I guess it's time for me to do my part here…" She mused letting a dark pinkish red mist creep out from the hems of her cloak quickly flooding the passage.

Once it was completely filled from stat to finish Sakura turned down the side hallway leaving her deadly mist behind waiting silently for it's mistress' command. She smiled sickly finding the door that held the grand prize.

"Bingo." Sadly it was heavily sealed with multiple protection seal, most still active. "The damn bastard is a coward." She snarled her blood boiling. He'll be a dead coward in a minuet."

Placing both of her palms on the heavy air tight metal door Sakura willed the poison hiding in her body underneath her skin to surface and eat away at the metal in front of it similar to acid. She had to push more of her chakra into this type of poison in order to make it strong to eat through the metal door since it was so thick. The seals hissed at her actions and a few bomb seals began to go off but Sakura's cloak hardened around her body so that they had no effect on her. Her chakra storage was a lot lower then she would have liked it to be but she had to finish this guy off. "Damn it where are those two." She hissed feeling more and more of her spiritual energy drain, the door slowly yielding to her poisons.

"Ga Chaynnnn!" Someone squealed from behind her soon followed closely by a loud explosion.

"Speak of the devil…"

"Ga chan, hey there yeah I'm done with my part yeah. Are you finished as well?" Sakura merely grunted in reply pushing her hands against the door harder than before a bit more eager to enter the room. "Oh that's good yeah. I finished my part too though I don't know if Tobi is done with his, that lazy bum probably freaking out over all the blood yeah. Sissy."

"Deidara san, I appreciate you informing me of your success but I'm kind of busy with this damn door. Please let me concentrate." Sakura grumbled passing through another inch. In another minuet she would be though.

"Oh sorry about that then. Just wanted to let you know yeah." The blond artist ninja replied shyly looking down with a light shade of pink staining his cheeks.

"Deidara Senpi!" Deidara cringed at the sound of his name being called by none other than the his orange masked partner.

'Damn couldn't he have waited a few flipping minuets. I wanted to be alone with Ga chan yeah.' Deidara through with a death glare directed towards his partner who continued to remain oblivious.

Sakura hissed pushing against the door causing it to finally fall under her poison acids with a dull groan and a loud clatter as it fell to the ground in a lifeless heap. "Almost done." She coughed straightening up and stepping over the rubble.

Tobi whistled at the mess at her feet and followed the dark eyed assassin into the room. Deidara stuttered a bit to himself before quickly dashing off after the two not liking to see those two together. "So all we have to do is kill this one last guy yeah?" The blond artist nin asked catching up with the two and positioning himself between Tobi and Sakura.

"And blow up the base…Remember there can be nothing left of this shit hole as our dear employer so kindly put it." Sakura added rolling her eyes at the thought of the man's mouth.

"Ah, the blowing up part sounds like fun yeah?" Deidara laughed pulling out a clay bird.

"Do you have enough clay for the entire building cause I could do the wing I came down. I already have it rigged and everything so it would be a synch." Sakura offered as the three continued down the pathway.

"I think I got enough for all three, but I might not have enough for this part here. If you could do your wing l can do the two Tobi and I came down as well as this room yeah."

Sakura nodded but stopped suddenly. Something was up this room was way too big for them to be walking down this far. Channeling her eye nerves to process purely through chakra, just like a moth would. "Damn I knew it." She hissed softly seeing through the genjutsu. "Deidara Tobi duck now!" The two did so instantly without a word of question while Sakura hit the floor next to them only to narrowly avoid a blazing blue flame aimed at their faces. "Change of plans, Deidara you and Tobi to all three of the hallways I'll take this one room."

"Don't you want some back up yeah?" The blond asked in almost a whine, not really concerned about the intense heat or the blue flame waving around their heads.

"Could they be anymore calm about the current situation?" She though I amusement. But then they were both S rank missing nin and part the feared Akatsuki group.

"Y-yeah Ga chan can't we stay and help then do the hallways?" Tobi added completely oblivious to the high rate death glare his partner was sending him when he called Sakura Ga chan. He didn't seem happy about his partner addressing her in such a familiar tone.

"Nah I got it here I'll meet up with you two later." Sakura mumbled waving the two off. She almost laughed at the blond's dejected expression as he and his partner drew back. She could have sworn he hear her sigh and Tobi whine a bit. Sakura stood up once the two were gone and pressed her palms together. Letting her fingers fly in the complex motion of a jutsu she let her dark maroon lips murmur in a whisper the needed words. Soon the ground around her began to shift and the room began to crack as a dark bark like substance sprouted up out of the floor distorting the room and canceling out the booby traps and weapons aimed at her.

"Com on out fat ass there is nowhere in this room you can hide from me!" Sakura called out angrily. You could tell from the tone of her voice she was not happy about having to track and hunt down her pray. She preferred to defeat her opponents in battle.

"What are you doing here?" A voice called out from somewhere in the door Sakura could not pinpoint. "To kill you, why else?" "Why?" Sakura cursed silently to herself on not being able to determine his exact location. He was pretty skilled at throwing his voice around the room but sooner or later she would catch onto his little trick and penetrate it through his flaws. All she had to do was keep him talking.

"Nothing personal sir just good business I guess. I was hired to kill you duh."

"Hired? By who, was it one of my rivals?"

"Who else would hire me to kill you?"

"Was it one of my former friends?"

"Well since you are going to be dead in a few minuets I don't see how it can hurt to tell you that yes, it is one of your rivals." Sakura replied with a smirk pinpointing his location. Kicking aside a metal hinge her smirk grew into a sick twisted smile seeing the fat old man covering in fear under her towering frame. Not that she could blame him, he was going to die and he knew it. "Yeah…" A shadow descended over the man and his strangled cry was cut short by his lack of a throat. Carefully wrapping her prize up in a gray piece of cloth Sakura proceeded to the middle of the room to prepare for her end of the plan.

Closing her eyes she let the pinkish red mist creep out from the hems of her cloak crawling out and filling the room. The dark eyed girl lifted her arms up she turned her body around a few times in a daze letting her poisons seep out and flood the area. It was thick now…real thick. Her Kunai jumped to her outstretched hands as she channeled her little remaining chakra into her legs to give her jump an extra boost. Once high enough she let her daggers fly towards the mist, the fat moth charms clinking against each other before exploding much like Deidara's clay birds. The explosion rippled around the room clinging to her mist that hung everywhere. Her mist acted much like gas or oil would to a fire. The bomb soon doubled and tripled in size rocking the building. The force of the explosion had sent Sakura up higher, the wind trapped under her cloak that was acting a lot like a parachute.

"Boom…" She chuckled to herself rising higher and clear of the flames.

Her prize was tied securely to her belt and she could make out the distant line on one of Deidara's birds coming her way. Tobi was waving wildly to her in excitement. She waved back falling slowly back to earth since the wind was gone from her cloak. The large clay bird passed her by and she grabbed on of it's legs before swing her agile fairy like body up onto it's back and settling herself between the two.

"Yo," She greeted happily with a carefree grin before raising up the gray blood soaked item from her belt. "Mission accomplished, target confirmed and eliminated."

-

-

-

Neji turned another corner searching for the three people he wanted to kill the most at the current moment. Tsunade had shown him the note Sakura had left behind before her departure and he had to admit, he had lost control for a moment in anger. If the Hokage didn't know he had secret affections towards the pink haired Kunoichi she knew now.

But back to the matter at hand, he was currently looking for team seven…or what was left of it without Sakura. He had a few things he wanted to shove in their face. From what he could guess they were the reason she left, they were the reason she wasn't still here, they were the reason for her pain and heartache. He was going to make sure they all felt the pain she felt ten hundred times over.

He remembered reading her letter, recognizing her handwriting but not her words. They seemed so much like another person. Was she really suffering so much under his notice? Was her heart really so broken that she felt like living was a waste? It just didn't seem like the bubby pink haired Kunoichi he trained with every day for the longest time. He didn't like the Sakura he was reading about. He liked the bright joyful Sakura that enjoyed training and talking with him. The Sakura that didn't mind wasting time doing nothing as long as they were in each other's company.

The chocolate haired Jonin winced to himself as his heart pulled back and stung when he remembered reading the words in her letter about her reasons for leaving.

_"I don't know if you hate me personally or think I'm so useless I can't help with anything but I know I'm either unwanted or unneeded. And if either one is the case it would serve everyone better if I just left for a while to train until I can be of some small use."_

_ "…if I just left."_

_ "…if I just left." _

_"…left."_

"They made her feel that way…" He hissed darkly clenching and unclenching his fists.

They made his precious blossom feel pain. How dare they, how could they?

His highly trained pear colored eyes caught the smallest glimpse of orange and he honed in on it.

Naruto turned around weakly to see an angered Neji coming his way. Neji was rarely mad and it was even more rare to see the expression evident on his face. This confused Naruto.

"Hey Neji…" He began only to have the pear eyed man grab him by the collar and thrust him up against a wall with the promise of pain laced in his dark deadly death glare.

"You…" He hissed darkly. "How could you say those things? How could you do that, huh?"

"Wa…what are you talking about Neji?" Naruto asked confused as to why his friend was trying to kill him. The only other time this happened was when Gaara read the letter Sakura left behind….Uh oh.

"You know what I'm talking about. I read the letter and now I want to know why she was feeling that way. Why was Sakura hurting so much. I know you know."

The look in the fox boy's eyes shone with compunction and remorse it hurt to look into them. He could see Naruto was truly regretting his actions but Neji didn't care about him, all he cared about was Sakura and making him feel the same pain she felt.

"Yeah I know…"

"Well what about it? Why did she say those things, what caused her to feel so bad about herself? Was she not good enough for you? Were you so high above her in strength you had the right to judge her like that?"

Naruto looked away not wanting to look Neji in the eye. He couldn't, it hurt too much. He knew what Neji said was true and that only added to his pain.

Neji was in too far to stop or take back his words, he knew he was hurting Naruto and he didn't care. Naruto needed to hear this so that the next time Sakura came back he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

"Was she really so pathetic in your eyes that she wasn't worth a place next to you? Did you hate her so much that you couldn't stand to have her on your team? Did you hate her so much Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes blazed back to life with a crimson red fire lit at the mention of hate. The whiskered boy grabbed Neji's collar and looked him dead in the eye with slit crimson orbs. "Don't you ever dare say that about Sakura chan! I cared for her more than you will ever know!"

"Than why did you chase her off like that?" Neji asked hitting Naruto with a verbal blow that brought him to his end. Naruto's eyes faded back to blue loosing their fire as he released Neji's collar. The one comment hit him below the belt. There was truth behind his words…it was because of what he said that made Sakura leave. He chased her away with his words.

Neji saw tears gather at the corner of his brought blue eyes that seemed to fade with the memory of what he said.

"I…I just didn't want her to get hurt…." He horsy whispered.

Neji chose to remain silent. He did enough. He knew Naruto would be kicking himself about this from now on and most likely until Sakura came back. Releasing the black and orange material in his fasts Neji let Naruto go. It was about time he found a silver haired Jonin and a black eyed artist and have a little chat.

* * *

Ta da... man I'm mad about this new updateing thing... would let me do it the fast way. Took me **forever**!

-vents on pile of plushies-

Oh yeah, back to this. I hope you all liked this chapter and it's longness. I want to start making them longer, so tell me if you like them short or long. Oh yeah and Review! Review, flame make a face...just review.


	8. Paper fans

**AN:/** This is probally going to be the last update in a while...I know I take a long time updateing as it is but I'm starting to spend more time on _Pages of Ecstasy_ and _Raven's_ _Dusk_. I'm still going to spend a good amount of time writing the next chapter(s) but not as much. Sadly I am only human (or am I?) and can not stay up 24/7 typing away on my lil old computer. So I'm sorry if you get mad at my lack of updates on this fic. Don't come after me with burning tree sticks of hate!

**Disclaimer:/** Vesper chan dosen't own Naruto...or Hot Topic XD

It's a bit OOC in this chapter...Please review!Flames are welcomed as well.

* * *

Chapter Eight

Paper Fans

X

X

X

Robbing stores

I get stuck

Dancing the dance of the moth

Smiling politely

As we push through glass

X

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X

Her hands found themselves rubbing the edges of her cloak, enjoying the feeling of the unique fabric under her nimble touch.

Sakura was sitting outside a bank with a bulging money sack filled with her payments from various assassin missions over the many months she spent away from her village. She sighed to herself, thinking about how long it had been since her vacation started. It must be many moths now, not quite a year, but very close. Most likely five or six months shy of a full year. But then it could be less.

Time flew when you're having fun and Sakura was having the time of her life. Too bad it would all have to come to an end sooner or later. She planned on spending another month and a half away before returning for good. No matter how much she was enjoying herself she had to admit that deep down in the pit of her stone cold broken heart, she missed her friends who had before her family.

"I wonder how everyone is handling my leave of absence. Most likely don't miss a deadweight like myself that much. I hope they are having fun and getting a lot of work done. I miss them, but I want them happy and it seems to me, being close to them was holding them back. At least this small amount of time will be enough for them," she thought closing her eyes and running her hands through his weightless silky pink locks that were clearly visible due to a lack of hood.

The small Shinobi-less village where she was currently located was fairly busy with the hustle and bustle of everyday people completing everyday tasks. Sakura was not an everyday person, but the task she had her mind set on was an everyday task. She was going shopping for cloths.

She could practically hear the funeral music in the back of her mind at the dreaded thought. Groaning a bit to herself she let her legs stretch out before she chose to stand once again. Shopping for cloths was not one of her favorite past times unlike her friend Ino who lived for nothing else. Sakura was more of a tomboy ever since she gave up on love and embraced her true desires and dreams a few years ago. Shopping was something she would rather skip for training or a good mosh pit.

She snickered to herself remembering the one and only time she convinced Ino to join her at a hard rock festival where there was sure to be a mosh pit. True to her predicament there was a small sea of hands that her blond friend just happened to be caught up in. After that Ino swore off places like the one they were both at.

That and she blackmailed Sakura into visiting the mall everyday for a month. If she didn't she would post pictures of her at the beach to every one of the pink haired girl's fan sites. Having no choice Sakura grudgingly agreed to occupy her friend on a trip to the mall for an entire month. That, for her, was torture in it's purest form and she vowed never to do that again so many times in a row.

"But…" She looked down at her garment's under her cloak and sighed.

They were torn and frayed with burn marks and stains that would not come out no matter how hard she tried. The red was fading and it's weakened threads threatened to unravel at any passing moment. She needed new cloths, it wasn't a matter if she wanted them or not. She needed new cloths, it was painful to try and walk around while having to avoid moving a certain way and expose the holes and tares.

Grumbling something about more durable fabric she stole off into the midst of the crowd heading towards the dreaded clothing boutiques.

-

-

-

"Yes may I help you miss?" The store clerk asked from behind the counter.

Sakura sighted entering the eighteenth boutiques that day. Every place she went too was either too bright and girly for her or not durable enough for her. As if this wasn't painful enough.

"Uh no thank you I'm just looking for some durable cloths I can wear. I'm fine for now."

"Okay but call me if you need help or anything down from the higher shelves."

Sakura nodded with a light smile and stepped into the store. She noticed for the first time that color of the walls were an ashen gray and the shelves were painted black stacked with piles of dark colored clothing. This took her by surprise since she was expecting brighter colors and…girly items to line the shelves.

"Oi, that's interesting."

She giggled rushing forward like a kid in a candy store and digging into the nearest rack's content's. Pulling a few items forward after a few hours Sakura set them down on the counter for purchase. The check out woman raised an eyebrow at the stack of clothing and smiled.

"You redoing your wardrobe miss?"

"I guess you could say that." Sakura replied with a grin.

The small stack of clothing as she referred to was actually a pile taller than her. Well she wasn't twiddling her thumbs those two hours.

"Well all I can say is you have good taste. Let me ring you up." Sakura chuckled and leaned back watching to woman ring up her purchase.

"Say miss is this store a chain?" Sakura asked with a content expression. IN her head she was thanking God for the small mercy.

"Yeah it is we have a few other branches in other villages such as leaf, Suna and Mist." The woman replied folding a black colored piece of clothing before placing it in a bag.

"That's good…say what is the name of this store, I didn't get a very good when I came in."

"Oh, the name...it's Hot Topic miss. There finished bagging here are your cloths and here is your total."

Sakura thanked the woman and paid her with plenty to spare. Taking her baggage in two hands with the help of in human strength she stepped outside and headed towards her hotel.

Humming a song she used to hear as a child in a lullaby Sakura fiddled with her room key before managing to finally unlock her door and open it. Dropping her bags on the floor she pulled an outfit out and prepared to wear it to bed when a knock on her door stopped her from undressing further. She blinked planning on ignoring it but it was such a soft knock that came from a source at the bottom half of the door she decided to cheek it out. Grabbing a robe and slipping it over her undergarments she opened her door part way to see who it was. She was fairly sure it wasn't a guy since she made certain to stay at a hotel that was only for women. Who she saw at her door surprised her and she smiled. There standing with a stack of fleering in her hands was a six, maybe seven year old girl with cherry red curls pulled into a pair of pig tails.

"H-Hello miss, my name is Aoi and I would like to invite you to the Fan festival we are having tonight. My class is setting up out own booth too so we want as many people as possible to come. It starts at twilight tonight so be sure to show up for all the food and games!" She cried handing Sakura a handmade flyer with a fan in front of a row of paper lanterns.

"Why thank you Aoi chan, I'll be sure to come, thank you for informing me of this event." Sakura replied gently reaching behind her head and pulling out a silver coin. "For your services fair maiden. Thank you again and I'll be sure to attend."

The Aoi girl cried happily receiving the coin and ran off with a big hearty wave. Sakura stared down at the flyer in her hands and shrugged kicking the sliding door shut with the heel of her foot absent mindedly.

"I guess I could enjoy myself a little bit for one night." She mused letting her emerald colored eyes wander from the flyer in her hands to the newly bought kimono like dress lying on her bed.

On the other hand she really should get some meditating in and try to relax and unwind. Lately the bubble gum haired Kunoichi has been up to her neck in requests for missions by well off benefactors. She was literally jumping from request to request these days rarely sparing a moment to relax like she planed on doing that night. A busy bustling party wasn't exactly the ideal rest night.

Sakura looked at the flyer in her hand and then at the harmony bed with deep sheets that seemed to cal out to her. Giggling like a little fan girl Sakura tossed the flyer into the air behind her and ran into the bathroom after grabbing the Kimono on her bed.

"Ah who need some relaxation when you have a party like this one?" She though joyously stepping in to her room's privet bathroom.

-

-

-

At twilight.

"Ahhh, it's so beautiful!" Sakura cried in happiness bringing her hands up to her lips as her eyes sparkled in amazement and joy. The look on her face of such innocent joy and amusement made her resemble a child in a candy store. "It's so big and bright and there are so many game booths and food stalls set up," Sakura added letting her eyes scan over the festival's crowed streets.

Many different colored paper lanterns lung from the polls at each end of the stall illuminating up the streets and allowing the participating people to enjoy the multi color light by witch they could see by. And true to it's name, Sakura spotted many paper fans in the hands on the ladies and a quite a few stalls dedicated to selling them.

She looked down at her empty hands and decided that since it was a paper fan festival she shouldn't leave without buying a paper fan. She smiled brightly when she saw one of the smaller stands being run by the children just link in her flyer. Her smile widened when she spotted the little girl named Aoi who gave her the flyer.

Approaching the stand she tapped the small girl on the shoulder making her turn around and smile up at the lady she recognized as the one to pay her. "Ah Konnichiwa Josei!"(young adult female) She chirped.

"Konnichiwa, Aoi." Sakura greeted bending her knees a bit so she could crouch down to her level. "So, tell me what are you selling at this stall of yours?"

"We're selling paper fans to make money for our school! Would you like to buy one?" Aoi asked eagerly.

"Why not? I need one for this festival and planned on buying one anyway. Would you pick one out for me please? I'm not good at any of this fashion matching stuff." Sakura laughed jokingly.

"Okay! I know the perfect one to go with your kimono, my mom made it herself, she's the best maker of anything in the whole wide world and she said I would be just as good as her one day too!" Aoi replied skipping behind the counter and pulling put a small blue box with silk lining.

Sakura looked over the small girl and almost gasped at the beautifully crafted hand made fans. They looked like they were made for royalty. Aoi picked up one white and black closed fan with a pastel pink tassel hanging off the bottom and handed it to Sakura. "It's like it's made for you kimono. It goes perfectly!"

Sakura looked down at her Kimono and studied the design. It was mostly black with the silhouette of a barren white tree with it's branches covering the bottom and top half part slipping under her milky white Obi dotted with Sakura petals. The bottom part of the tree's trunk stood out slightly as a faint milky white mist seemed over places near the bottom. On her sleeves were a few falling Sakura petals to match her Obi. Her hair was up in an ornate bun with two small braids twisting around the small bun that was held in place by white and black chopstick with yin and yang tassels hanging from the ends. A Large Moth shaped comb was placed behind her bun with it's wings peaking out over her tan tinted tresses.

Sakura looked at the closed fan in her hands and opened it slowly gasping at he beautiful scene painted on it. It was snowing on a black background with a pair of white birds with pink tinted wings and long pastel pink colored tails. "Oh it's beautiful Aoi, I'll take it." Sakura breathed handing the small girl a rather large leather bag of money. She could afford it from all her missions lately. "Please keep whatever is left over for you and your school."

With that said Sakura folded her fan and began to walk towards the food stalls.

"Thank you Josei!" The small girl cried happily holding the bag of money that was more than enough for the fan.

Sakura smiled over her shoulder and began to maker her way gracefully around the grows of people who gathered together to spend time together at such a merry event. Sakura stopped in her track and lowered her fan. She saw couples holding one another tenderly their hands entwined with a display of pure affection as the longingly gazed at each other under the paper lamp's muti colored lights.

The petal haired girl gazed longingly at the entwined fingers she spotted so often and sighed longingly looking at her own delicate fingers with a frown. No one would ever hold her hand like that, even if they wanted to such an effort would require physical contact. For whoever was the one that was unfortunate enough to hold her hand that spelt out death due to the poisons hiding beneath her skin's surface, complements of her loving moths.

Her whole body was filled with the ever changing toxin that cold kill on demand with the simplest of brushes. It was a wonderful asset during battle and at first she rejoiced at the gift, but outside of battel… It was more of a curse than anything else. Sakura spared one more longing look at the entwined fingers of a nearby couple before they moved away.

Sakura ran her poisoned hands over her pulled back hair, hiding a resistant curl behind her ear and let her dark wing-flipped lashes descend halfway over the hazy emerald forest green eyes she possessed. A gentle night breeze passed by and Sakura inhaled the wet late night scent that seemed to travel with the wind. This scent always reminded her of the times she would spend on missions with team 7 when they all had to camp outside under the stars because Kakashi would 'forget' his tent and steal theirs claiming to be an elder that deserved respect. She chuckled bitterly at the memory. Suddenly her night wasn't as bright.

"I wish someone would hold my hand like that." She breathed absent mindedly to herself.

Her body tensed when she felt a spike of chakra behind her and something move towards her hand. Was it an attack? In such a crowded place would someone risk such a thing? She backed up spinning around.

"Why with such the cold greeting? I was only granting you your wish Sakura chan." The attacker chuckled calmly brushing a few stray ebony locks out of his line of vision.

"Uchiha Sasuke, huh you surprise me. I ever guess you to be one who enjoyed attending festivals." Sakura replied back smoothly relaxing her tensed body a bit, knowing Sasuke wouldn't attack her.

"Nor I you. At least after we ran into each other during out last meeting. You changed so much that I though you would despise such an outing. But tell me what brings you out into the festival light on a night such as this?" Sasuke asked with a devious, knowing smirk that Sakura recognized so clearly she knew it was the genuine article standing before her and not some copy of her old teammate.

"I'm not one for parties but I couldn't help myself on such a beautiful night." Sakura replied coolly lifting her fan to cover the bottom half of her face giving her an air of mystery.

"It is a wonderful night I suppose. Not like the last time we met eh? That was such a long time ago. I kept an eye open for you but you never seemed to show up. Funny that the one place we would reunite at would be a festival."

"God works in mysterious ways. I heard a bit of talk about you in my travels but you seemed busy, so I decided not to peruse you." Sakura replied in a casual tone not showing the smallest hint of discomfort even though that was all her insides could feel.

"...I would have made time for you." Sasuke quickly replied loosing a bit of his dominance at the hint of what Sakura could have sworn were desperation.

She must be loosing her touch to believe for even the smallest amount of time that the great Uchiha Sasuke could ever be desperate for anything other than revenge. And even at that it was anger and rage, not desperation.

"You sounded really wrapped up in whatever you were doing, I would want to drag you away from that. After all my company would only be 'annoying' for you. I doubt you would want that." Sakura replied with a sour chuckle remembering when they were on a team under Kakashi. Sasuke paused furrowing his brow at her words in confusion. Deciding to stray away from that path of conversation he looked up at the sky and it's dark never ending abyss.

"I guess you were wrong. Do you remember what you said before you left the last time we talked?"

Sakura nodded remembering their last conversation and how it came to a close.

_"Maybe we'll meet again one day, Sakura. I hope it will be under circumstances as good as these." Sakura did not turn to face him but he could hear her chuckle softly. "As much as I would desire that I highly doubt it, still there is always hope. Goodbye Uchiha Sasuke, Kabuto I was nice speaking with you." _

"I do. I can scarcely believe we managed to meet aging without it being under instructions for conflict. But then there always was hope wasn't there Sasuke?" Sasuke frowned at how she left the kun out of his name but did not bring it up when the Kunoichi with dawn kissed hair began to speak again. "There is something I would like to know about you Sasuke, why are you here? I have given you my answer so it's only fair you share your own with me."

"Ah that, well you see…" Sasuke began before a loud and rather annoying feminine voice from behind interrupted his prepared explanation.

"Sasuke kun!" A bubbly girl with glasses cried running towards the ebony haired Uchiha. Sakura noted that the girl had scarlet red eyes behind a pair of glasses, matching hair color and an unusual hairstyle; her hair is short and unkempt on one side, and long and combed on the other. She was wearing a light lavender almost white kimono trimmed with black flower petals. The scarlet haired female Sakura believed to be a Kunoichi ran up to Sasuke's side and attached herself to his arm hugging it tightly with a girly childish laugh that made Sakura feel as if her ears were bleeding. "Oh Sasuke kun, I was looking everywhere for you. You just took off on me for no reason and I was so worried for you. I don't want to let you out of my sight as long as we are here at the festival together."

Sakura grimaced at the sound of the girl's voice and rubbed the back of her ear a bit hoping to calm down the burning sensation is was going through due the annoying girl's horrifying voice. She could see Sasuke displaying the same reaction as he cursed her ability to track other by their chakra signature.

The said female looked up from hugging 'her' Sasuke kun and noticed Sakura for the first time. "Eeto... Sasuke kun who is she?" Sakura could feel the disgust radiating off that girl's entire being as she narrowed her scarlet colored orbs while eyeing her up. "Is she a noble you'll work for?"

Sakura blinked looking down at her dress and blushed slightly to herself. She was a bit overdressed for such an simply event but the outfit looked so pretty in the store and she just had to buy it.

"No Karin, Sakura chan is an old friend of mine. We were just catching up on old times." Sasuke explained dryly trying to send the hint to the clingy female that he didn't want to be interrupted.

Too bad it had the opposite effect.

'Sakura CHAN? Who dose this hoe think she is having MY Sasuke kun talk about her so closely! Sasuke kun is mine now and forever, she can't have him!' Karin seethed in her mind going on to call Sakura a sting of ever so colorful words In the worse way. "So nice to meet you Sakura san, I never heard Sasuke kun mention you in our long personal chats." The scarlet haired Kunoichi all but hissed out with a fake smile waving to the unaffected female standing before her. The corner of her mouth twitching from keeping the obviously fake smile up so long.

Sakura saw this and decided to have a bit of fun toying with the girl. Payback for that annoying voice. "I'm not surprised, there is no reason for the burden of my existence to be discussed with you." Sakura replied with a calm quiet voice all the while keeping her fan up to her lips to conceal the devious smirk that played across her red painted lips in an amused manner.

"With me? But Sasuke kun tells me everything. We're really close like that." Karin replied hugging Sasuke's arm tighter with a dangerous fire burning behind her eyes. Sakura almost gagged at how desperately and shamelessly she was throwing herself at Sasuke's feet. It was degrading to herself, being a female as well. Over the years as she grew away from who she used to be she learned to be more open with her true self she grew to hate the fan girl she used to be. She was a strong able body female that didn't need to lower herself by begging to be acknowledged by a guy. So needless to say the performance before her was having a very negative effect on the emerald eyed girl.

"And you didn't know about me, being his former teammate from when Sasuke still lived in the village hidden in the leaves." Sakura replied, her devious smirk growing into a mischievous grin.

"Sasuke kun's teammate from the village hidden in the leaves?! You're from Konohagakure?" She cried jumping back and drawing a kunai, ready to use it against Sakura's neck. "I should have know there was something wrong with you. Now I know why Sasuke kun spared a glance towards you. You're not Sasuke kun's type at all."

"No…I'm not." Sakura replied refusing to let her fan fall away from her lips exposing the bottom part of her face to her opponent despite how close the kunai was to her neck.

"Karin." Sasuke sternly called with a hard scolding tone. "Lower you're weapon, Sakura chan is not our enemy. She is currently not affiliated with the village hidden in the leaves."

The scarlet haired Kunoichi shivered at the cold tone used against her but complied by lowing her kunai and stashing it away inside her kimono's back petal spotted obi. "H-hai Sasuke kun."

Sakura turned away looking board with her current surrounding despite the racing feeling in her chest. She was much more powerful than she used to be but she wasn't invincible. What if this Karin was a really skilled Kunoichi that could taker her out in a crowded place such as the one she was in. She had to be fairly powerful to impress Sasuke enough to allow her to travel with him. She inwardly shuddered, she had to be very powerful for Sasuke to let her travel white him with a voice like the one she had. Weighing her options Sakura decided it wasn't work making this girl an enemy without a prize. Besides it seemed like time for her to leave anyway.

"Well I wouldn't want to intrude on your… 'date' any more then I have already. So, Sasuke ,Karin, I think it is time I take my leave. Sayonara you two." Sakura bid raising her hand to them after turning around and heading to opposite way.

"No Sakura chan wait!" Sasuke called reaching out towards her and grabbing the sleeve of her kimono. Sakura's hear skipped a beat at how close he was to touching her skin and poisoning himself. "I just saw you again after such along time. Don't go."

Sakura freed her arms from Sasuke's hold and took a steep away. "I'm sorry Sasuke but it's about time I got back to my room and rested. I did not think we would meet again under such friendly circumstances but I was proven wrong this time. Who knows, you might just get lucky enough next time as well." Sakura paused mulling over her next her words carefully, deciding to take a chance and speak them. "I've decided to head back to leaf in the next month or so. So after that day we will be enemies again. don't think I'll go easy on you just because we used to be friends. When that day comes I won't hold back and be sure to win and drag your sorry ass back to Konohagakure weather you like it or not."

Sasuke chuckled softly to himself not bother in grab her again. He looked up and saw a stray lock of her dawn kissed hair begin to fall out of her tight bun. Reaching out hesitantly he slipped his finger into the small loop and pulled it free, enjoying the silky texture between his fingers. Being one of her lower locks the strand fell to the back of her shoulder blades. Sasuke rubbed the strand between his fingers before bringing it to his perfectly shaped lips and kissing it softly. "You know Sakura, despite that I'm looking forward to out next meeting." He pressed his smirking lips against her hair once again. "I looking forward to it most fervently."

Sakura shuddered on the inside but forced herself to remain calm. Her skin was crawling with Goosebumps she wished she could suppress despite her best efforts to do so. Masking her discomfort with venom she spoke back to the man still holding onto her hair. "That makes one of us Uchiha."

Sasuke chuckled at her attempts to hide her fear with bitterness. The two of them might have drifted apart over the years but it was good to know that he still had the ability to make her pale flawless, moon like skin prick with bumps from fear. It was a good feeling to know he could still get a reaction out of the girl he wanted to hold entirely for an eternity. "Sakura chan… I hope you know my actions would have been a bit changed if our present circumstances were different…. If things had been different I would have it arranged it so that you would not leave my side…." He leaned in a bit closer hover over her ear, showering it with his warm breath. "Ever…"

Sakura had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from loosing her nerve an screaming at him to stop what he was doing to her. Her whole body felt like it was about to go into auto pilot and run away from what was disturbing her so. She bit the inside of her mouth harder. She was a Kunoichi of the fire country, and not only that but the student of the fifth Hokage. She was stronger than this. She would overcome this. "Our present circumstances are what they are. You can't change that." She shook her head and freed her locks from his possessive hold. "And not everyone can get what they want Uchiha."

Sasuke let his hand fall to his side limply and chose to stare at her with those deep dark coal black Uchiha eyes of his that required all of Sakura's will power and training not to shiver under. Sasuke seemed to notice this. He smirked causing Sakura to use all of her training not to swoon at the sight. God, why did it have to be this hard?

Karin scowled at the way her Sasuke kun was looking at that pink haired hoe. She did everything in her power and ability to get Sasuke to look at her like that. With a longing to keep her by his side for more than a few minuets. She scoffed sneering at the pink haired bitch. There was nothing so special about her anyway. She looked weak and delicate, like a passing wind would come and blow her away with one swoop. She probably wasn't even a powerful ninja. Karin could tell by the girl's chakra that it was wild a fluttering though faint. Not something a skilled Shinobi or Kunoichi possessed. Then Karin saw the girl shake Sasuke and turn to face him reveling the bottom half of her face. It was no wonder why Sasuke had a hard time tearing his eyes away from her face, it was flawless and perfect in every way. That bitch, she was stealing her Sasuke kun away!

"This time I think I had better take my leave. Sayonara." Sakura called lifting a hand and letting her body from the bottom up, breakdown into a funnel of silky soft cherry blossoms that swirled around rapidly before melting into thin air. Her eyes and hair were the last thing visible before they too faded with the wind around them.

"sakura..." And she was gone.

Sasuke scowled inwardly at the empty apace before him where his cherry blossom once stood. Now it was empty. Once again he was left with empty. Empty in his chest where his heart would be. He liked to think himself a patient man. He needed to be in his field of expertise.

He knew he had to wait for the opportune moment to take what was his and keep it all to himself like the greedy traitor he really was. He would have to wait for the right moment to take Sakura and keep her all to himself. But it was a terribly arduous and grueling task for him to have to wait out. He wanted her now! He deserved her now. She belonged to him ever since their genin days, ever since she saved his life, ever since he told her thank you, ever since she tried to bring him back. She was his forever and now and he wanted her now!

Seeing her run off all the time was irritating. He couldn't remember a day he woke up without thinking about her or dreaming about her and her addicting smile he wanted to see used on him. She haunted all of him and it drove him mad.

Karin took this chance to snag back Sasuke, and dawn a happy look as she latched onto his arm. "Hey Sasuke kun do you want to get something sweet to eat now? We could share." Sasuke didn't reply but kept staring straight ahead at were Sakura last stood ignoring the female next to him. Karin scowled at her defeat and the nagging in her gut. She had to ask this one question, she had to know. "Sasuke kun, that girl, what it she to you?" She asked waiting for an answer.

For the longest time Sasuke didn't reply. But eventually his lips parted and he began to speak."She is the girl I am going to marry." He replied sternly turning on his heel and disappearing into the crowd.

Karin stopped dead in her tracks and growled in anger. There was no way she was loosing her Sasuke kun to that weal pink haired hoe. "It's time I called a friend and had her taken care of. No holding back."

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I hope you're happy. 

I really do...

Cuz I'm tired.

Umm yeah, not a lot of fluff in this chapter like I wanted. But it's not compleatly hopeless right? Well I promice the next chapter will be better. Kakashi and Neji have a little chat about Sakura so that should be fun to write. Please tell me what you thought about this chaper and if you liked it or not. I love reviews!

ja ne


	9. A memory of me and you

AN:/ I know it's been too long and I'm so sorry. -_weeps for hours-_ Hell came and found me by killing my laptop and erasing all my work for most of my other stories. It's been tough since I don't have a place to work or a bunch of stuff that has been saved, but I working on it. For all of you who wanted more Neji Sakura ness, the first part of this chapter it for you guys! ...And a small Gaara part at the end for me, cuz I love the Gaara Sakura fluff.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...

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Recap: 

For the longest time Sasuke didn't reply. But eventually his lips parted and he began to speak."She is the girl I am going to marry," he replied sternly, turning on his heel and disappearing into the crowd.

Karin stopped dead in her tracks and growled in anger. There was no way she was loosing her Sasuke kun to that weal pink haired hoe. "It's time I called a friend and had her taken care of. No holding back."

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Chapter Nine

A Memory of You and Me

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To join in the worship

Of the light that never dies

In a moment's reflection

Of two moths spinning in her eyes.

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"Okay, I can see you are not concentrating on your sparring and you missed you mouth when you went to take a drink from your water bottle-"

"Not all of it didn't missed!"

"And you tripped over a tree root that was clearly visible, and to top it all off you have banged some portion of your body on a tree seven times this morning. It doesn't take a Hokage to know something is on your mind, Neji," Sakura finished racking her nails through her light pink locks in an effort to comb the bangs out of her eyes.

"It was six times, falling against a tree trunk doesn't count."

"It does when you have eyes in the back of your head."

Neji turned his head away in defeat. Continuing the argument was pointless when you had someone as smart and cough-attractive-cough as Sakura questioning you. "Nothing important is wrong with me, Sakura. You should not concern yourself with such petty worry. I am...just a bit out of it this morning."

"It's about Lee and Tenten and the way the act in public isn't it?"

"It's so annoying being the only one standing there with a sane mind! Have you seen those two? And then Guy sensei is all for the fiery passions of youth to be made known and- gosh Sakura, I'm right there. How can they act like such morons in public without feeling embarrassed? I am a Hyuga and so I don't get embarrassed easily-"

"Yes, you do."

"But it's just so hard with these guys in public! I feel as if I want the earth to open up and swallow me whole, am I so mortified by my teammates behavior. You would think Tenten would have enough brain cells to know that there is a time for privacy and a time for public affection. I just wish they wouldn't suck each other's brains out in front of me with Guy in the background preaching about the fires of youth all the time. I can't go anywhere with them anymore! I don't even want to be seen with them in public anymore!"

"...Neji, that's the longest I ever heard a man rant about something," Sakura calmly stated, staring at her dear friend blankly.

Neji gave her the evil eye at a sideways glance. "Gee, thanks for your support, Sakura."

The medic giggled leaning against the trunk of a tree with her water bottle in hand. "Okay, enough kidding aside, have you ever told them about how you felt? Like the way you just told me?"

"Yes! Okay,...maybe a little less direct. Maybe a surreptitious hint here and there...no, ...not really."

"Well, there is your problem, right there."

Neji sighed and slouched against the tree's trunk next to Sakura in a very relaxed manner that he wouldn't be caught dead in with anyone other than Sakura. The pink haired medic was the only one he acted anything close to normal around. You would think she would pick up on the hint that he liked her as more than a friend, but she was always dense when it came to matters of love concerning herself as the main affection. She couldn't even see the true nature of Gaara's extra attention towards her.

"Gosh Sakura, this is Tenten and Lee we are talking about. It's like telling Naruto to stop eating ramen or Sasuke to give up on revenge-" Neji instantly halted in his words when he realized what he had just said. Speaking about Sasuke was like a word taboo around Sakura. "Sakura- I didn't mean that!"

"No...no...it's...it's okay Neji. I know you didn't mean it in a bad way so it's okay. It's something I have to get used to. I know it's pretty much died down and all but, it's hard seeing Sai where Sasuke should be and forget that your teammate isn't an Uchiha."

Sakura nodded, not trusting her voice to carry the message without betraying her feeling on the betrayal of her treasured teammate. Trusting was something she didn't do too much now a days.

Neji sighed standing up and grabbing Sakura by the wrist. "Come on, you're coming with me."

"Wh-N-Neji, where are you taking me?"

"Just follow me."

"Neji!"

"I'm not kidnapping you or anything, just trust me this one time, okay?"

Sakura frowned at the other taboo word Neji used, but nodded knowing Neji wasn't anything like Sasuke in that manner. He was someone she could trust. As far as she could see, there was nothing that would drive him to such insane length like Sasuke, and betray her and the village. "Fine, but there better be sugar involved."

"I'm pretty sure ice cream has sugar in it, Sakura."

Sakura seemed to light up at the mention of the icy goodness that was worse than crack. "Ice cream! Oh my gosh, I love you Neji!"

"Oph..." Neji huffed as Sakura launched herself onto his back and hugged him tight.

Even though she was acting childishly, Neji would never dream of telling her to let him go, he was enjoying it so much.

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Sakura's eyes were heavy as she watched the young girl take her ice cream and run with it, her boyfriend right behind her. He laughed at her and she giggled back with a coy smile, before linking arms.

"What a weird dream,"she whispered to herself as she struggled to pull herself up from the relaxed position under an oak tree and it's shade.

She hadn't been sleeping really, but rather meditating. The moths anti poison kept her from falling into a sub conscious level that many would call sleep. She didn't know you could dream while meditating, and was surprised that the flashback had entered her mind.

Her attention bristled like a thorned vine as she felt the undesirable sensation of spiders crawling up and down her back, underneath her skin. While most people sneeze, Sakura just had to be stuck with the stupid, creepy feeling that was really starting to tick her off.

She didn't know what it was really, but the feeling gave her a sense that someone was talking bad about her behind her back. Most likely someone hiring someone else to kill her. She wasn't very well liked with some of the people she ruined, so it was understandable.

Lifting a finger she breathed softly over the poisoned flesh and waited for the mouth she sent scouting, hours before, to return it it's perch. A light yellow moth lined with green freckles floated out of nowhere and rested it's self softly on her finger.

"What news do you bring, my darling?" she asked, her lips parting only slightly.

The cooing sound of it's singing translated into words before entering Sakura's ear. In this language, she could not only hear and know, but see and feel, even smell what her moths were trying to tell her. She faintly wondered if this was how Shino felt when talking to his beetles. She would have to aske him once she got back to Leaf.

With a soft breath and a nod of her head the moth raised it's wings and fluttered behind Sakura's head and rested into Sakura's hair. It sounded weirder that it really was, but there were moths hidden all over her body, however, she drew the line when it came to entering her body. She just couldn't see, nor understand how Shino could handle it.

It certainly wasn't for her.

"I know what I felt, someone is talking about me. But I can't help but feel as it's a bit more personal than my business. Like...something I did as Sakura, not as an assassins for hire," she mused softly to herself, letting the cool, calming wind come and play through her uneven pink locks as they fell around her shoulders in a whipped style.

"Sakura...I almost forgot about her..."

The setting of the sun drew her eyes towards the sky for a moment, before the green orbs fell downward.

Deciding it was time she headed out, the pink haired kunoichi dropped her hood over her head and let it's shadow fall over her face, concealing it from the rest of the world. The black material of her Gothic looking outfit melted against the insides of her cloak as she sprang into the air, taking care to not let anyone see her departing form.

"Sakura... do I know her anymore?"

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An inky blackness hugged her like a cold hand, choking out her sight till it was no longer in existence. Karin shivered as the wind blew right through her and chilled her to the bone. The darkness around her didn't prove a comfort in any way as she stumbled forward in dead blindness.

There had always been a fear of the dark that existed in the back of Karin's mind, ever since she was a little girl it had taunted her with hauntings and surprises she didn't like. Like a ghost it was always there to nag her, even when she existed in the darkness, that fear never left her side. After a few years she learned to tolerate it more so. She lost the flashlight or candle she always had be her side, and traveled blindly with only the layout of the passageways to guide her steep.

She hated coming here, but for Sasuke kun, she would do just about anything to please him. This wasn't something Sasuke asked for. This wasn't even something Sasuke wanted. In fact, the red haired female was quite certain that this would be something that angered her dearest Sasuke greatly.

"You've gone far enough, you may stop now."

She couldn't see it, but all of a sudden she felt those eyes burning into her flesh from behind. Karin couldn't help but stiffened at the silky soft tone that sent shivers up and down her spin without the help of the cold. It felt like millions of tiny spiders crawling underneath her skin.

Not something she liked.

Taking a deep breath she began to speak, "I'm here for-"

"I know what you're here for. You hate me as much as I hate you so there is only on reason you could possibly possess for seeking out my efforts, Karin _chan_," the sightless substance chuckled making the red eyed girl tremble yet again.

Masking her fear she activated her favorite tactics for persuasion in her arsenal. It was something that worked only half of the time, but required little effort. For Karin, this tactic was called sucking up. "You are correct in you assumption, as always."

"Tch!" she hissedquickly making Karin stop before kalling her by name. "Abondon your flater child, it will get you no where with me. Who is it?"

"Her name is Sakura. You would probably know her as Ga, the moth mercenary-"

A shriek of hissing made Karin gasp out in surprise and stand back, for fear of being struck. She could feel the woman's chakra, almost anyone could, but aside from that one ability, Karin was virtually defenseless. The one before her was so much more powerful than the young girl could ever hope and dream to be. "You wish the demise of a brethren?"

"She's not like you! She's shorter than I am with green eyes and pink hair. She's not like you. She wasn't born like you were, she just uses that name!" Karin quickly explain hoping not to anger the being before her more and seal the deal to her death.

The air tasted stale as Karin breathed heavily in labored fear. It felt old like a quick death and yet like a life not worth living. The red haired youth didn't doubt the idea that a killing had taken place not to long ago. She was known for killing her husbands, after all.

There was a long silence before anything more was said. "...You speak as if I were one to cherish my kind. Do you know my namesake foolish little girl? I have nothing but hate and spite for those in my own breed. Even those who profess to be of my kind I will devour. I have compassion for no one, _including _you."

Karin took another steep back and gulped. Fear was racing madly through her blood by now. She was frightened from the beginning, but there were always levels of fear, and she just reached a whole new one with that threat. "H-hai. Yes, of course, of course."

The lover of the dark ticked in fault of Karin's shivering words and replied in a tired tone, obviously tired of speaking to the red haired girl with scarlet eyes that could see noting in the inky blackness that some loved. "Don't stutter young fool. Give me her location and remove your filth from my chambers. I won't eat you this time, but if you continue to linger when you are not wanted, I will not swear by it."

"Hai!"Karin chimed dropping the papers in her hand on the floor before she turned and ran blindly through the darkness, not caring if she was stumbling over every divit and bump in the rocky, grounded earth.

She didn't need to be told twice.

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One

_Tick_

Two

_Tock_

Three

_Tick_

Four

_Tock_

Five

_Tick_

Six

**_Crash_**

"I can't take any more of this!" Garra hised knocking over a small hourglass with the back of his hand. The hit object clattered to the floor, no harm, no crack, no dent made. "Who was the fool that told me this would work?"

Kankoro trembled in the seat next to his younger brother. "Gaara...I know you're really worried, we all are, but you have to remember that Sakura wouldn't want you getting mad like this. She's say somthing like it's bad for your health or something else nurses tell you."

aara turned towards Kankoro and fixed his narrowed jade orbs on the trembling male, furthering the anxious fear he was feeling. Those eyes lined with black looked to be sharpened into daggers, gleaming with a thirst for blood.

Kankoro hated that look and how it always mad him nearly wet his pants.

"Do you know how ill-logical that sounded, just now? I will be the first one to tell you that Sakura is a extremely skilled and able bodied fighter, but going off on her own for so many months without a word or contact is too vexing for my taste. I can understand her reasons for leaving Leaf, but she could have come to Suna for a break."

"Well you know how her team is. She probably thought they would be here spying on you, waiting for her or something of that matter."

"I can't blame her for thinking like that..."

"No you can't."

Insert Gaara's death glare

"_However_, that fails to put me at ease."

Kankoro laughed nervously under the glare of his younger brother. He would never admit this to anyone, but he always hated how his younger brother could act like he was the older one around his siblings.

Being the Kazekage and all.

"Well that's Sakura for you, she's like the wind. You can't catch her or hold her or try to hold her in place. It's one of the things everyone loves about her. Leafing Leaf just proved that."

Kankoro was right, and they both knew it.

Gaara sighed deeply and looked down at his folded hands, letting his fingers play with one another as his mind drifted to other matters. It was so frustrating knowing you couldn't do something for a cause you really wanted.

He desired to see Sakura again. It had been months since he last saw her silky pink locks dancing in the wind and her bright emerald orbs shining with glee. He wanted her at the dinner table teasing his brother and lying through her teeth about his sister's _good_ home cooking. He wanted to sit next to her on the roof tops and talk about life as the stars overhead glimmered over the two. He wanted to hear her voice, see her smile, listen to her words. He just wanted _her_. Hell, her aura was the most soothing he had ever come across, and he would kill just to be able to feel it again.

God, what he would give to have her back again. "I just want to see her again. Is that to much for me to ask?"

"We all want to see her again. Sakura used to come every month and cheek up on us as head medic, so going so long without her presence has worn us away more than a bit. For some, the damage is double what it is to others," the dark eyed male sighed with a downcast expression. The young male missed the pink haired kunoichi just as much as his sister did. Maybe not as much as Gaara, but then again, no one that he knew missed her as much as Gaara missed her.

"Isn't there some way we can contact her? Ask her to visit while telling her that her team is not here." Gaara asked.

Kankoro though for a moment, closing his eyes and tapping his thumb against his lip, while the rest of his hand wrapped around his chin. Contacting someone when you didn't know where they were wasn't unheard of, but it was pretty tricky, and there was no way to know if the message would go through.

Temari had a few ideas about something like this a long time ago, but there was no reason to look into the matter so she gave it up. Kankoro however, clearly remembered one method that might work with Gaara.

"Do you remember Sakura's chakra signature?"

"Better than any other, why?"

"I'm going to have to talk to Tamari about this but I think I have an idea."

Gaara's eyes were alight with hope as he followed his younger brother out of the office.

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Skidding to a shaky stop, Sakura halted her footfalls under a rather large elm tree, or at least it looked like an elm tree. Her wispy, pink locks that were once streaming out behind her ears, now settled gently around her shoulders.

The leather straps and dark fabric of her costume shifted positions on her body as she straightened her back out from a leaning position. She smirked as she felt a few bones in her spinal column crack back into place.

She had not been traveling that long. Only three or four hours, but when you travel alone, the time seems so much longer than it really is. So, for her, it seemed like she had been traveling past trees and shrubbery for hours upon hours upon hours.

She didn't want to admit it, but she was lonely. Don't misjudge her. She was glad to get away from the chaos and havoc of her village work, as well as a few less than trusting males who shall not be named. However, after being out and away from a friendly face for so long (No, Sasuke does not count) the feeling of being alone became more and more apparent in her life.

Taking another steep forward, a cloud of moths lifted from the ground and rose up all around her. She seated herself down and laid her back against the largest tree. A few of the more colorful moths settled back down right away, setting themselves along the side of the trunk. The gray and brown ones drifted on the wind for a bit longer before doing anything more than that.

"I'm going home. Soon I'll be back," she whispered to no one.

It was for that reason, that the large, marvelous green gates into her home village stood less than Twenty two miles away.

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Dum dumda dum dum.

Yes, this is an update. I know, shocking.

So, it's not as long as I wanted it to be, and I know it should be a whole lot long for how much time I have been away, but I'm really running out of muse for this one. (Ideas are always loved and appreciated.) I know what I want in the end, but getting to the end is a -to use the words of a much loved Nara- such a drag.

I hope you liked the chapter, please review!

Ja ne people


	10. Web of Fear

AN/ Okay, I'll admit it, I love reviews...so please review!

Standard disclaimer applied

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Recap:

_Taking another steep forward, a cloud of moths lifted from the ground and rose up all around her. She seated herself down and laid her back against the largest tree. A few of the more colorful moths settled back down right away, setting themselves along the side of the trunk. The gray and brown ones drifted on the wind for a bit longer before doing anything more than that._

_"I'm going home. Soon I'll be back," she whispered to no one._

_It was for that reason, that the large, marvelous green gates into her home village stood less than Twenty two miles away._

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Chapter Ten

Web of fear

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I love the heat I love the things that I forgot  
I love the strings that tie me down and cut me off  
I was a king, I was a moth with painted wings made of cloth  
When did the flame burn so high and get so hot?

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Eyes darted behind closed lids.

Darting frantically.

From side to side.

Her lips part to allow her erratic breathing to pass.

Her chest heave out over breath like a burden.

Her lungs burning as if on fire.

Her skin is cold to the touch.

Healthy peach now fallen to an ash like gray.

A cold sweat grips her.

Her fingers tremble.

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It's dark.

So dark...

I can only see things I don't want to see...

I don't want to be here.

I shouldn't be here.

I want to wake up.

I need to...

WAKE UP!

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Sakura trembled in fear, seeing nothing but the ink black darkness and _that _in front of her. Or rather, _those _things. Those things that brought on fears worse than any other.

Ever since she was a child, Sakura was scared of spiders. When she took the moths into her, that fear increased tenfold. There was nothing that frightened her more than those webs and those fangs. Yes, spiders had fangs.

She choked on the air required for her lungs as she backed up and away from those dangling white strings that seemed to vibrate with the movement that she knew was inside them. She knew. Oh hell, did she knew. And how much she wished she didn't.

As if responding to her innermost thoughts and fears, the stringed webbings began to shiver and hiss, preparing to open up. Something Sakura did not want in the least. But no matter how hard she wished for it th not be, those webs burst open, and all the little baby spiders inside were released, free to fall down towards her.

Kaaaa!

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Sakura bolted up, her mid and sub conscious minds realigning and coming back into focus.

"Damn..."

There was only one thing she was aware of that could separate her mid and sub consciousness from one another and trap one in a nightmare and block out the other all together. Aside from Ino's clan and their spells, someone would need to use an extremely powerful genjutsu on her to pull off such an unheard of feat.

And much to her fear, someone just did. Someone who was extremely powerful with illusions.

Pulling a gray and blue moth from inside her hair, she opened her palm and blew on it's wings, sending a cloud of fuzzy blue dust in front of her, dispelling the illusion she knew was hiding in plain sight.

How she wished she didn't just do that.

The blue sky was no longer there, replaced by a menacing gray heaven, blocking out the golden sunlight. The trees around her were covered in a hazey white material Sakura knew to be sticky to the touch. From ground to tree top the forest that surrounded her was shrouded in those deadly little spider webs that made her skin crawl with disgust and fear.

But, now was not the time to be frightened. Oh no. Now was the time to wake up and fight back, because that was what this silk weaver wanted her to do. It was written all over the place.

"I would advise you to retreat and save yourself the trouble..." she called out, not really expecting her words to be headed. How many enemies would willingly lay down their attack, give up, and go home after being told to? To this day, Sakura never once heard of such a thing happening, still, it was in her nature to be polite and warn someone before she pounded their faces into the dirt with as much force as two dozen bulldozers.

"Sa...Ku...Ra..." a sickly sweet voice hissed out, making Sakura's skin crawl even more than the sight of the webs.

"Nice to know you know my name. Now go away, I'm in a pissy mood."

"Ku...ku...kuku...ku...How entertaining..."

Sakura growled, hating the sound of that voice. She pulled out a kuni with a red string attached to the end with a clay moth hanging limp and deadly. It was filled with that exploding powder she could gather from the dust her moths shed in spring. She only had a few more of these. Soon she would have to go back to paper tags and they were a pain in the ass to make at the rate she used them. The powder from her moths was so much stronger.

The pink haired girl counted the number of bombs she had left and frowned. She had better wait and see if these webs could really burn or if they were coated with a mother's protective saliva.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," She growled throwing a small paper tag into the thickest part of the webs, praying it would catch fire and burn. The tag flared and burned away, singing the grass around it, but doing nothing to the webs. "What the hell? It is coated!"

"How smart of you to notice. Yes, my webs are coated and nothing less than a devil's fire could melt these pretty babies away. Ku...ku...kukuu...ku." the voice laughed from all sides of the forest.

A web shot out at Sakura and she was forced to dodge and shimmy to the side to avoide running into another web. If she so much as touched one of these things, she would be stuck and pretty much helpless. She guessed her bombs would burn a bit away since insect pollen was potent against arachnids, but she didn't want to waste any on a lost cause.

Another thin strand of white shot out at her and Sakura skidded out of it's way, cursing as it changed directions in midair and followed her movements like some sort of heat seeking missile.

_'What's doing that?'_

Another strand of white shot out at her face, narrowly missing her ear, settling for a few loose strands. As it passed her ear, Sakura could hear the hissing of a million tiny arms and legs moving the strand forward.

_'Damn, the baby spiders inside are guiding it!'_

Pulling her body forward she started running at speeds that would rival Rock lee without his weights. She wasn't as fast as he or Guy would be, but she was pretty damn close. Bending into the wind, she cut the air away from in front of her and turned wildly, skidding out of the way of another few strands.

She curved left, taking a turn too tight and almost fell to her side, but quickly recovered with a burst of speed forward. It was a good thing too, she almost ran into a wall of pre-placed webs that had been there since she woke up. Now that she think about it, those sheets of webbing were all around her.

'_Shit_!'

With horror clear in her eyes, Sakura realized she was running out of space to move freely in. The webs around her were too vast in their numbers and varied in positions. It was increasingly difficult to move. Sidestepping another two, she made a clone of herself and jumped over it, moving into a different area that was mostly clean of webs.

"Don't turn your back!"

Sakura spun wildly in mid air, surprised that her actions were seen and countered by the enemy. She should have been too fast to be tracked like this. A thin strand of web was stuck to the heel of her foot, trapping her once she hit the ground.

Cursing wildly under her breath she threw a few senbon needles out to gives the webs something other than herself to stick to, now that she was restricted of too much movement. However, she didn't have enough senbon, and soon her body was littered with the shivering white threads harboring her living fears.

"'You're all tied up I see."

Sakura looked up to see her enemy for the first time since their little game of cat and mouse. A game she blindly ran into without taking in all the disadvantages. The truth was, she never had a chance from the moment she woke up. the field was rigged in the favor of her enemy.

"Who are you and what do you want with me? I don't remember having any qualms with a woman like yourself," Sakara hissed in muted anger, reaching for the bombs inside her cloak, thankful her elbow was not stuck.

"Oh don't worry too much about me. We've never really met and I know you only by reputation. However, I have business with another who has something against you. She wishes to see you out of the way," The woman replied stepping further out of the shadows.

"So you're going to kill me to settle some vendetta that is not your own?"

The woman stepped out into the least shaded area of the forest and laughed. Sakura saw that she was quite pretty, with dark eyes and blood red lips setting off her jet black locks. She was tall and slender, with a build that looked like it was designed to entice men.

"You underestimate my intentions. I desired your death for myself, not for the benefit of my employer." She took a steep further, smiling wickedly.  
"You see, you and I are quite alike."

Sakura shuttered as a hand with black widows hanging from it was held out in front of her face. A pale blue moth fluttered from her pink strands and sored for the forest tops. "What do you care?"

"You are sister to this brethren, a sister that should not exist. I can see that you have little to no knowledge of what you are, but that makes it all the more fun for me," she replied pulling her her hand back, letting the spiders climb back into her sleeves.

"I have no idea what you are, what your trying to say, or what it is you want with my other than my most obvious death, so if you could start talking straight, I'd really appreciate that," Sakura hissed.

The woman let her hands settle over her abdomen, that was covered in a blood red corset. "What would you have me say to you? Would you like me to explain how I made the pact with the spiders like you did with your moths. How my ugly body was eaten alive by my babies seventy eight years ago and replaced with the beautiful one you now see here. How I killed, and devoured twenty eight of my mates like my darling did with their own. I'm sure you see similar aspects with the moths you are bonded with, manifesting themselves in you."

"You're sick and messed up, you know that?"

"All too well, my dear."

"What do you plan to do with me, then?" Sakura asked, fingering the bombs that were now in her hands under her cloak. She would use it for sure, now, but she wanted more info from this woman dressed in black and red.

"I'll let my babies eat you naturally. I can't have someone like you alive, now can I? It's been a while since they've had such fresh meat. I'm sure you'll make them very happy," the woman stated in an airy voice, smiling a lopsided grin that would make many a man fall to their knees.

That was it. Being eaten alive by spiders was the last thing she wanted. She wasn't going to wait around any longer. These little fagots had enough time alive.

Using her wrists Sakura sent her explosions towards the thickest strand that split into several encircling her body. The look in the woman's eyes was one of utter clam. She knew fire wouldn't be able to touch her webs."That's won't work."

The knife struck and started to hiss.

Sakura glare with a sick grin. She would enjoy this.

"Boom."

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Sakura flung herself into the clear water, watching with weary eyes as it shifted colors. Once a sparkling blue, now a swirling red. She had just enough energy left in her to keep her head above water long enough to make it to the shallow end where she could clean herself in peace.

She didn't know what day it was, nor did she knew where she was.

She didn't care. All she cared about was getting these cuts cleaned and disinfected. Most of them were oozing with venom and Sakura was sure she would have died long ago if she wasn't immune to the poison of her moths. Venom and poison, however different they may be, work in similar ways.

Looking down at her damaged body, Sakura saw that she was not only covered in tiny piercings, but also, quite a few burns. The fire from her moths wouldn't burn her, but in their battle, she wasn't the only one fighting with fire.

"Ow..." she whimpered, touching one of the larger burns. Even with the little remaining chakra she possessed, it would be pretty sore for a while after she healed it.

It went without saying that she suffered a few battle wounds that would scar her both mentally and physically. There were several instances where she had to endure those shitty little monsters eating up her flesh, biting into her skin and letting go of their toxic venom. A memory that would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life.

Her skin tight clothing lay on the shore, riddled with tears and dangling shreds of fabric. It was beyond help, so she would have to find something else to wear out of her old pile of clothing. Thankfully, the dimension scroll was not harmed during the fight, unlike most of the items that were found in her possession.

Looking up at the sky, Sakura couldn't help but relax, seeing so many stars so clearly, illuminated by a full moon. It was at night that her chakra levels seemed to rise the most, thankfully giving her enough to heal the most serious wounds found on her body.

Carrying the moon and it's light in it's wings, a multitude of moths colored white blue and silver danced around her and the water, illuminating her tiering work even more so. She was thankful for their light, since she had a few scrolls she wanted to look over, concerning her possible enemy.

When she was killing the spiders, her moths told her they cried out for their mistress in their own language. Roughly translated it came out as Tsuchigumo. Sakura decided to investigate this name.

Letting her body sink till the water was to her chin Sakura used to last of her chakra to heal the last of the infected bites, keeping only enough of the green energy to keep herself from fainting from such a severe loss. A little known fact was that if you used a medical jutsu underwater on an injured body that was also underwater, you could double the effects of you efforts. This only applied to when you were healing yourself. If it was another person, your efforts would most likely be cut in half.

Satisfied with her somewhat decent apperance, the young woman rose from the waters, letting the cool droplets fall from her milky pale skin, dotted with wounds here and there. Her moths could take care of the rest, hopefully healing her before morning.

As soon as her body was fully exposed to the night air, with the exception of her lower body, the dark green moths fluttered to her injured skin and began to repair what they could of their mistress. Her chakra was much more effective, but they did an alright job when they were needed.

Wading through the water, Sakura reached the edge of the small pool and found what she was looking for in her things. Unrolling the orange red scroll, Sakura bit her thumb and wrote 土蜘蛛 in her blood, hoping she would get some information on this spider obsessed woman.

She smiled seeing the blood seep out to spell the answers she was looking for.

'_The Tsuchigumo, also called Yatsukahagi, were a people of ancient Japan, believed to have lived in the Japanese Alps until at least the Asuka period. The name means "ground spider", likely due to perceived physical traits that were later exaggerated or embellished. A spider-limbed monster of the same name appears in some Japanese folktales, which possibly were mythical retellings of battles against these peoples. According to Japanese History, Japanese people used "Tsuchigumo" as a derogatory term for bandits and thieves, akin to the Tsuchigumo that lived under the ground and in caves._

_The most famous example is that of Minamoto no Raiko. In this story, Raiko investigates tales of a giant skull flying through the air. He and his retainers chase the skull, but it eludes them. It is during this chase that he finds a youth named Kintaro. Raiko, impressed by Kintaro's strength, initiated him as one of his retainers and continued on his venture. The search for the skull proves fruitless, and Raiko retires for the night._

'_At the house where they stay, Raiko finds himself feeling ill, and a young servant boy brings him medicine daily, under the pretence of helping him to recover. Raiko continues to grow ill, and begins to suspect the boy of mischief. One day, he waits for the daily visit and then lashes out, striking the boy and causing him to run from the house. This breaks a powerful illusion, and Raiko finds himself covered in a spider's web. His retainers free him, and together they track down the boy by his trail of blood. They follow it into the mountains, and there find a huge spider, dead from a wound.'_

Sakura frowned at the useless information. She wanted to find out about the woman she exchanged blows with. Not some age old folktale that held no meaning to her.

Deciding it was the best she could do, she decided to read on.

_'There are many alternate tellings of this popular story. In another famous version, instead of being a small boy, the Tsuchigumo appears as a beautiful woman leading an army of Yokai. Raiko's retainers prepare to battle the Yokai, but Raiko avoids them and strikes the woman, causing the Yokai to disappear as if an illusion. He then follows the woman to a cave in the mountains where she transforms into a great spider. After a battle, Raiko splits her open. Even after the Tsuchigumo's death, several thousand spiders the size of human infants are said to have crawled from its belly. Raiko and his retainers claim total victory only after having made sure every last one is slain. Raiko was wielding a sword named "Kumokirimaru" meaning spider-cutter.'_

"Okay, that's interesting," Sakura mused, interest lacing her voice.

_'It is said that the __several thousand spiders of infants size spread across the world, most meeting with death. Others found joy in the reduced form of an insect. A few fed of humans, growing in power. A select few chosen by the spiders were eaten and rebuilt as beautiful women or men to walk the world seeking pleasure. These few individuals were granted special powers and abilities by the spiders, hoping to incarnate the powers of their mother.'_

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Inside the hidden leaf village Kotetsu and Izumo stood guard, watching the traffic, or lack of, make it's way in and out of their treasured village. So far Two merchants and one genin team were the only excitement they had all day and it was already 4:45. One can only take so much word puzzles and word games.

So when a single figure dressed in red and white approached their gates, they were fully alert and ready for someone to talk to. Yeah, they would check their papers and their passports and all, but what they really wanted was someone to talk to.

Their excitement grew into shock and disbelief when they saw who it was standing there in front of them.

Stopping right outside the opened gate, the young woman with dazzling emerald green eyes smiled at the two young men, sending blushes to their cheeks and shivers up their spines. Pulling a lock of pink tinted hair behind her ear, she made sure to let the light reflect the headband that marked her as one of this village.

"Haruno Sakura?" Izumo asked with disbelief in his voice.

"In the flesh!" she replied with a cheery smile, enjoying their shocked expressions.

"But you...you went..."

"Missing? Well now I'm found, aren't I?"

"I'll say," Kotetsu murmured, mostly to himself as he looked the attractive young woman up and down before his best friend and teammate jabbed him in the ribs, causing him to stop.

"Since I'm back, I think I should report in and everything, right?"

"Y-Yeah! Make sure to do that."

Sakura smiled brightly once more, causing the blushes both men possessed to redden further. "Don't worry boys, I will."

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Hah! Yes, I finally have a decent chapter written here. I honestly didn't realize how long I went without updating this. (insert three hours of me begging for your forgiveness) To be quite honest, I forgot about this. Before I started on the next chapter I re read a few of the old ones and realized this piece of work is over a year old! That is so sad, since I wanted to update at least once every month. I guess I am going to have to make it up with another chapter soon.

Anyway. How many of you expected Sakura to come back to the village in this chapter? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? Just so you know, the arrival home is several days after her moonlit bath. I figure she's going to sleep a few days to recover all the energy/chakra she lost, right? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

I'm getting closer and closer to the end, yay!

**PLEASE _REVIEW_**!

Ja ne


	11. Heartattack

AN/ Okay, I'll admit it, I'm evil and I don't deserve them after so long a wait, but I love reviews...so please review!

Standard disclaimer applied

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Recap: "Haruno Sakura?" Izumo asked with disbelief in his voice.

"In the flesh!" she replied with a cheery smile, enjoying their shocked expressions.

"But you...you went..."

"Missing? Well now I'm found, aren't I?"

"I'll say," Kotetsu murmured, mostly to himself as he looked the attractive young woman up and down before his best friend and teammate jabbed him in the ribs, causing him to stop."Since I'm back, I think I should report in and everything, right?"

"Y-Yeah! Make sure to do that."

Sakura smiled brightly once more, causing the blushes both men possessed to redden further. "Don't worry boys, I will."

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Chapter Eleven

Heartattack

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She took the Oldsmobile out past Condor Avenue  
Cops were running around the scene  
Looking for some kind of clue  
They never get uptight when a moth gets crushed  
Unless a light bulb really loved him very much

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Sakura's return was the hype of the village and everyone was talking about it. The normal gossipers who all seemed to be older women found themselves whispering with younger boys and older men about the same thing. The old and young and middle aged, both male and female all knew about the dramatic return of another bright ninja. There wasn't a single villager who didn't know about the girl's dramatic return home, especially when there were so many who were waiting for her.

Unfortunately for those few Sakura crazed men who were going stir crazy, the pink haired ninja was in hiding with Tsunade to discuss certain matters too fragile to disclose.

"Well...to be honest, I didn't expect you to return to us at all, let alone so soon. Only three months less than a year and you are back at our gates seeking entrance. What's gotten into you Sakura? Have you accomplished all you sought out to do?"

The green eyed girl nodded quietly before taking a sip of Sake. "You could say that. I actually planned on coming back sooner, but certain matter arose, preventing me from making the journey. I'm home now and that should be enough though, right?"

"But Sakura," Tsunade began hesitantly, "Are you really...I mean. Is your heart at peace? Are your feelings settled? I would not have been mad at you if you choose to stay away from the village for a longer amount of time to get over what the boys said."

Sakura hesitated, the curved cu only inches from her lips, and smiled sourly before setting down the drink. "That's well and fine, but I don't think I _need_ to get over what they said, but rather ignore it. I don't want to remember and so I shan't. Is that okay with you?"

Tsunade nodded, frowning. "It's not wrong, but I'm a bit...hesitant? Are you sure that is the best thing to do, Sakura chan. They are your teammates, after all. While you may no onger be on a team with those four, you will need to confront them eventually. Can you live with them like that?"

"I do. I'll go on living as if I had never known and soon those wounds won't be there to annoy me any more. It'll be like old times, neh? I can forgive and forget them, but I can't really trust them just yet, maybe in the near future, but not now." Sakura looked down at her hands and frowned. "I think they were right when it came to some things. I don't...enjoy fighting and I can see why they wanted to protect me."

Tsunade swallowed another gulp of Sake, remembering why she didn't want to send Sakura on so many dangerous missions. Sakura was her daughter. Blood or no blood, Sakura was her treasured daughter who she, as the unrelated mother, was called to protect-not send on S ranked missions! Still...that was no reason for babying Sakura to the point that it hurt. Hokages had duties as well. "Sakura, I think I was at fault as well. Will you forgive me as well?"

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Of course. I don't blame you Tsuande and I have learned not to blame my teammates. It hurt, but I don't blame them. I'm at fault too, so if you don't mind, I think I should get going and find them. I plan on treating them out and having a nice long heart to heart chat. Does that sound good?"

The older blond woman sighed in relief and nodded. "Of course, are going to love that. You know Naruto has been so depressed since you left. Well, they all have, but Naruto is the only one you can really see depressed. The rest of them are just pulled back emos who are like that all the time. Those boys will be thrilled to see you again, let alone talk and be treated out by you. You sure you're not spoiling them?"

"I think they deserve to be spoiled after so much 'Sakura' withdraw," the pink haired woman laughed, standing up and streaching like a tired cat after a long nap. "Poor Naruto, my ribs are already hurting at the thought of his bear hugs. leave a bed open for me at the clinic, will ya?"

Tsunade laughed and slapped the floor in enjoyment as tears of mirth gathered at the corners of her aged hazel eyes. "Ho, ho, that's Naruto for you. Haha, don't beat him up too much, but remember to defend yourself. He'll probably try and jump you on sight."

"He had better not."

Tsunade chuckled to herself, falling back into silence, staring up at her beloved daughter. Who stood with her hands on her hops, scowling at the though of the overjoyed greeting she would receive. This Sakura was a breath of fresh air in her life less days. "I'm glad to see you this cheerful. I was so scared you would still be depressed when you came back, but I am glad that I was wrong. It is good to see you glad once again."

Sakura grinned saluting her teacher in a mock bow before bounding out of the Hokage tower and down the street.

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The boys of team seven couldn't remember a happier time. The five of them were sitting in a booth around the table drinking sake and eating whatever it was the had decided to order. Legally Naruto and Sai were only allowed to have the lighter alcoholic drinks, but switched their cups with their sensei's when no one was looking. Kakashi and Yamato acted as bookends to the group as Naruto and Sai flanked the newly returned member who was red in the face from all the alcohol.

Hours earlier, Sai and Naruto had been heading home from training with Yamato, when the loudest of the bunch spotted the pink haired female standing like a statue in the middle of the road. He and the other two froze up on sight, remembering why she had run away. Back then, Yamato hadn't been one of the original to throw in his own two cents on her lack of skill, but he knew he had slighted her in training and chose to shield her during missions more than he should. She would be angry at him as well.

But she didn't look angry. She smiled softly and coxed her head to the side. "Aren't you happy to see me, or am I alone in this feeling?" she asked with a sincere voice.

The first one to act was Naruto. He was on her like a bee on honey, crushing her in one of his biggest bear hugs. If she wasn't as strong as she was- one of her ribs might have been broken in the embrace. Yamato and Sai were quick to her side to pry him off and replace his embrace with their own. It was something Sai read in a book. _'When a friend comes back after a long time away it is common to welcome him with a hug instead of a handshake._'

"I'm glad to see you are still happy to see me. I though you would be a bit angry that I left," Sakura gasped, once hugs were done.

"Us? What about you?" Naruto asked, loud as ever. "I-ow... I mean, we thought you would be mad at us...for all those things we said and did. Not that we meant any of it like that, it was all just a big misunderstanding and-"

"I know, Naruto, I know," Sakura laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "You don't have to apologize, that's my job for now."

"You know, Gaara sent a messenger bird saying he detected your chakra signature not too far away from here a few weeks back. He came here himself and went looking, but nothing turned up. He was so bummed when he left. A lot of us were, since we were on the search party. Neji looked ready to kill someone in frustration, and poor Kakashi just looked plain old sick. I swore he aged like, ten years or something over the week. It was amazing, and not in a good way."

Sakura nodded, something akin to worry flickering in her eyes. "So I see. I know Neji is feeling better, since I just talked with him today before meeting up with you, but I have yet to meet with the Kazekage. But speaking of old friends, where is Kakashi sensei? Does he not train with you anymore or is he off getting lost on the road of life again?"

"Kakashi sempai is..." Yamato began, pausing to think. "At home, I think. No one sees him much now a days."

Sakura looked disappointed and a bit guilting, guessing the reason for his absence being herself. "I see."

"Hehe, we should go see the old fart and see if he thinks you're a clone. We though about doing something like that once but decided against it, knowing it would be too cruel. Though that didn't stop them from doing it to me once," Naruto said, crossing his arms and looking away.

"That sounds like a good idea, since I was planning on inviting you guys all out to dinner, my treat."

"Seriously, hell yeah!"

Sakura lightly bonked him on the head, not having the will do seriously do any damage. "Baka, that's my line."

Yamato was the one that knocked on Kakashi's door with only Sai beside him. Sakura and Naruto were hiding behind a corner, choosing to observe the scene before acting. They were all a little worried about Kakashi's mental condition. Naruto guessed he would pass out when he saw Sakura if they didn't handle things properly. Sai pointed out that if that happened all they needed to do was find his smut and pretend to burn it. That worked the last time their sensei passed out. Obviously, Sakura wasn't there.

Kakashi entered the door, looking as if he had just woken up. He lazily greeted his two friends and let them in. Once the door was shut, Naruto and Sakura scurried over to listen in on the conversation through the door. There was a second part to the plan but that went out the window when Naruto yelled out in pain, after having Sakura hit him for making a lewd comment about how she had matured over the years.

Kakashi was behind them before they could realize their mistake.

"Naruto, what are you...." his voice trailed off when he noticed how exactly it was he was looking at next to Naruto. His lone visible eye grew wide with shock. "Sakura..."

KLUNK

"Damn, he really did pass out, someone get his porn," Yamato grumbled, running a hand through his messy brown hair.

-

Sakura got up to excuse herself, claiming she needed to use the woman's room for a moment. They were sitting outside, since it was so nice out, and Sakura found herself having to walk around the side of the building to get inside where the rest rooms were. She received several stares along the way.

She was wearing a dark red dress that dipped low enough to reach her navel and expose a good amount of chest. She paired the dress with black wrist gloves and a lacy black choker. It was no wonder most of the men and several of the woman were looking at her like a piece of meat ready to be devoured. She licked her lips and winked towards a handsome young jonin who looked ready too burst into flames, he was so red.

She laughed, mirth dancing on her lips as she passed under the shadows of a nearby Sakura tree only to stop suddenly when a kuni landed an inch away from her face and stuck fast to the bark behind her head. She was nowhere near the restaurant anymore. "My, my, you healed faster than I anticipated. I was sure those wounds would have kept you soaking in the water for much, much longer."

"Shut up," The voice was dark and filled with hate.

"But than again, you are a medic."

The one armed with kuni threw another three, making the woman with dancing green eyes and pink hair jump back and land on the branch of another tree. Sakura petals jumped into the wind, flying everywhere, casting an erie scene under the light of a full moon.

Reaching into her dress, the young woman pulled out a handful of senbon needles before throwing them at the cloaked figure. The one in the cloak jumped, but was too slow, catching two in her arm and missing only one. 'Poison!'

"I don't think I need any help from those men, but I want to see you hurt some more. I want to see the pain in your eyes as they come to my rescue. As they come to fight you," Sakura hisses, jumping back. The one in the cloak looked up suddenly, drawing another knife that was longer than the others.

"Don't you-"

"Kaaaaa!"

The dark figure cursed, jumping back only to have another figure grab her injured arm in a vice like grip, the blade of a ninja's favorite weapon against her clothed neck. "If you value your life, you had better explain yourself fast, and even then I don't think I'll let you live," Kakashi hissed, both eyes gleaming with hate.

"Sakura, what happened?" Yamato asked as Sai and Naruto took their place in front of the teammate who appeared to be injured. there was blood running down her arm from a cut that hadn't been there before.

"Y-you guys don't need to be here. This is my fight-ugh!" Sakura tried to protest but stopped when her arm began to throb. "Oww."

"What did you do to her, you bastard?" Naruto hissed, his whiskers growing darker-his eyes red. Sai looked just as deadly with his fake smile and a dozen inked lions.

"Answer!" Kakashi growled, squeezing her injured arm.

She cursed in pain, hissing as the blood from her wound seeped through her clothing and fell to the ground. Feeling his hand beginning to burn, Kakashi let go and jumped back to avoid an array of knives aimed for his head. No-not his head, they were too high. "Watch out, he's got acid or something in his blood. Long range for this guy."

Sakura whimpered in pain, clutching her injured arm, making Yamato growl in aggravation. "Don't worry Sakura, you're with us now. This guy is gone."

The figure in the cloak took a few steps back, before jumping to avoid the fangs of a lion that exploded when hit. That explosion caught the attention of a number of other ninja who were eager to help the newly returned medic with pink hair. Neji and Shikamaru were in front of Naruto and Sai, along with Lee and Kiba. Choji was in the back, acting as defense along with Ino and Hinata. There were a few other faces in the crowd that were too blurred to make out.

Too many to go up against.

under the light of the full moon the figure dodged blows from Kiba and Akamaru's best attack, The Nara's powerful shadows, An array of weapons and several painted lions. She was able to avoid them all until Kakashi's white lightning came out. She had never seen him so fast as he thrust his crackling fist through her side. It wasn't anything immediately vital, but if she wasn't treated soon, she would certainly die.

'I told you I'd make you suffer like never before' Tsuchigumo whispered in Sakura's mind as she stumbled backwards, bleeding heavily.

Sakura's eyesight was wanning, but she could still see clearly the many webs infused with chakra that were spinning an illusion only Tsuchigumo could spin. It was the perfect genjutsu. Not even Neji would be able to see through it. And to make matters worse, she had all of Sakura's memories. Tears threatened to spill over as another kuni landed it's self in her side.

'That's right, Sakura chan. I spent weeks in advance spinning my webs to make this jutsu invincible. No matter what you say or show, they will always see me as you and you as someone else. Suffer like never before, moth child!'

Sakura screamed in pain falling to her knees, surrounded on all sides by blinded men. She was feeling dizzy. Soon she would pass out and they would take her. She couldn't let them do that. They would get hurt once exposed to her poisoned skin. She needed to get out and get away, fast.

"G-ga..." She coughed, blood on her lips, willing her body to dissolve into a funnel of moths that clouded the air and filled it with dizzying dust that would leave the majority of them paralyzed for the next hour or so.

Hinata and Ino were the only ones who hung back with Sakura, and they were the only ones not affected. Ino was finishing up on 'Sakura's' many cuts before she moved over to the men to help loosen up their limbs.

In the shade of the Sakura tree Tsuchigumo grinned, her pink hair flapping around her narrowed green eyes. A black and blue stripped spider with eight thin, long legs crawled out from underneath the blooming tree and scurried underneath her dress.

-

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-

When the true Sakura awoke the next morning, she found all her wounds neatly dressed and, surprisingly, no dead body by her bed, killed from the contact with her skin.

"H-how?" she whispered to herself, looking down at her bandaged body.

"I'm wise enough to know when to use gloves, Sakura san."

Sakura reached for a knife from her thigh pocket, but found none when she confronted the owner of that voice. "Shino Aburame? You did this?"

"At least you remember me, nice to see you too, Sakura san."

The injured woman chuckled, staining a wound on her side from Kakashi's favorite lighting based attack. "Thank you Shino. I am extremely grateful to you for doing this. Are you the only one who can see through that woman's genjutsu or are there others?"

Shino took a seat beside his old friend and folded his arms over his chest. As always, he was wearing his darkly tinted glasses and a deep green hood. "Aside for myself and the other member in my clan, no one has been able to break through the illusion and see the truth. I am disappointed in the Hyugas who boast of their eyes for days and nights without end. Hinata I can understand, but Neji should have been able to see that the woman he speaks with is not you."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at how talkative the bug lover seemed this morning, but did not say anything about it. "Why is that do you think?"

Sho held out his hands and a few of his bugs flew out. "That woman's genjustu can not fool my Kikaichū, as they can not fool your moths."

"Ah, I see. Have you tried... explaining the situation?"

"Have I tried? Yes. have I had any luck, no"

"Why not, they should believe you," Sakura said, attempting to sit up in bed, only to grunt in pain and fall back into Shino's pillow. She was a medic so she knew when she should rest. These wounds would take a while to close and a lot of chakra. She still had some old wounds from her first fight with the spider woman.

Shino frowned, or at least, Sakura though he frowned, (it was hard to tell with that hood in his face all the time)."With this sort of thing, people are believing what they want to believe, rather than what they should. They want Sakura to be back and forgive them, so that refuse to see it as anything else. That woman is a sly one."

"Maybe, but I don't plan in sleeping and resting forever. Even if I have to die to prove me point, I'm going to beat some scene into my friends and make them regret ever trying to hurt me. All I have to do is take down those webs of hers, right?"

"To undo her spell, yes, but that would take forever to do by yourself with only your moths. You wouldn't be able to git rid of all of them before she throws up more."

"That's if I do it by myself..."

"...You desire my help?"

"And the help of your clan. I don't think she plans on all of you even knowing about me. When she stole my memory, there were some things I was able to keep hidden. Not many, but you and your clan was one of them."

"That was very clever of you, Sakura san. When you are fully rested and healed, you may count on our help. As the future leader of my clan, they will listen to what I have to say."

"Thanks Shino kun."

-

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I'm getting closer and closer to the end, yay! Maybe one-two chapters max, and it's done.

A little humor and a little drama, no? So Shino has teamed up with Sakura to save the village! A plot twist I don't think many of you saw coming. I hope I caught a lot of you with the whole, Sakura not really being Sakura. I think one person guessed something close to that, but only her.

**PLEASE _REVIEW_**!

Ja ne


	12. Size of Sorrow

RECAP:"To undo her spell, yes, but that would take forever to do by yourself with only your moths. You wouldn't be able to git rid of all of them before she throws up more."

"That's if I do it by myself..."

"...You desire my help?"

"And the help of your clan. I don't think she plans on all of you even knowing about me. When she stole my memory, there were some things I was able to keep hidden. Not many, but you and your clan was one of them."

"That was very clever of you, Sakura san. When you are fully rested and healed, you may count on our help. As the future leader of my clan, they will listen to what I have to say."

"Thanks Shino kun."

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Chapter Twelve

Size of Sarrow

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Well a high wire  
Is a dangerous game  
But a hard act to follow  
If I fly high like a moth to a flame  
Would you eyes be the size of sorrow?

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When she had awoken and first seen Shino, only her superficial wounds had been treated. Cuts were knitted back together and disinfected, but many more injuries settled beneath her skin. Two of her fingers on her left hand had been broken, as well as her wrist on her right. There was a fracture in her legs right above the knee and some major bruising anywhere there was skin. The fingers and fractures were relatively easy to heal being as small as they were, but she had been tired after setting those properly and didn't want to mess up her wrist, so she slept in a old fashioned cast until her chakra was restored to a decent level.

One of the Aburame woman had stopped by with some healing cram that would make her bruising go down. Sakura felt honored since she knew that the Aburame clan did not share their secrets easily and this included their medicines. When she asked about this, the woman had only smiled and pointed to the moth pattern that had been carved onto one of her kuni. Sakura had though Shino was a man of few words, but the woman were something else.

With the cream, the bruising only remained on her arms and legs where she had blocked a majority of the blows dealt to her. They would be gone in another day. By this time it had been two days since she had been attack by the fake Sakura. Two days more she didn't have her identity.

She had dressed up as an old woman, the hard way, and scouted out around two while her wrist was still broken. She was disgusted with what she saw. That woman acted nothing like her, so surely someone should have picked up on it. Not one even questioned it, blaming it all on the prolonged separation and her traumatic experience in the past. The time she had taken to act as an assassin looked liked it was spent with the monks or something by the way this fake Sakura acted.

"The don't see because they don't want to."

Sakura turned around to see Shino come up behind her with a shaded expression. "That's what they want?" she asked in a fake voice, pulling off the rasped echo well. "How is that, eh?"

"She doesn't blame them, or hate them. She loves them and trusts them."

"But it's not right. She-I shouldn't and I wouldn't. They know that and the should be better at this. Even Neji san is fooled. Why hasn't Shikamaru seen it? They're famed as some of the world's best ninja, so why are they this blind?" she hissed, anger rising with every word. She wanted to pound in their faces.

"They will be made to see...." Shino said, looking over to where Sakura sat with the girls, giggling about something. "We will do that."

"I'll be counting on you guys... even though I don't know why you would go through so much for an old goat like me."

"There's more than just that here," Shino replied in a tired voic, his eyes resting on Hinata as she laughed along with another joke.

"Then I had best get ready." Sakura nodded, turning around and hobbling back to the house she was staying at with Shino and his family. As she hobbled through the dusty streets, she went over her plan in her head once more. She had begun to obsess over it, with little else to do. Later that night they would work out a plan for distrubiting enough bugs to eat up the webs at once. If there was even a minuet of a gap, it could all be made useless.

One of Shino's cousin was out patrolling for all the possible webs that could generate illusion. Out of his clan, he had the best eyes and was extremely gifted in spy work thanks to his photographic memory. From what he had gathered already, it looks like she had been planning this a while, since everything was so perfectly situated. If Sakura attacked a grouping of webs in one area, the spidery woman would simply move/ or remain in a different sector that already had her webs-seeing as how she could run faster than her illusion could dissipate.

Truly this woman was a master when it came to these genjutsus. The only way out or around it is if you have a bond with an insect. Not even Kakashi or Neji could tell that it wasn't the real Sakura that they were flirting so shamelessly with.

When Shin, Shino's cousin, came back, he would have the report of how many webs there were, how many bugs it would take to devour the web, and how far their illusions carried. Many of them overlapped, doubling the potency of her illusion. Those where places she spent the most time, like at her house and the hospital and even a few restaurants that she had magically developed a taste for overnight. Everyone knew she hated spicy food, so dinning at the Fiery Furnace was not something she would do.

Later that day when Sakura sat down to talk with the two bug users, she was angered to learn the extent of the damage that needed to be repaired. Since their last encounter, the number of webs had almost doubled, it seemed like.

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked, in a tired voice.

"Absolutly certian. There were webs in places they were not before and many of them are reenforced."

"Dose she know you guys are helping me?"

The cousin shook his head. "No, but she will not take any chances."

"This is all we need," Sakura sighed, nursing her newly healed wrist. "She is powerful as she is, but she has every single male in the village fighting for her. The only chance we have is to take down those webs. Do you guys have enough people?"

"Maybe, it could go either way. Some of these webs do not have hatchlings in them. I am guessing that these hatchlings are warnings for her. If one of them is destroyed when the web is burned, she will know, but if a empty web is burned, she will not know. The hard part is knowing what type of web it is. If we could just get even of these webs burnt before she notices, we will be in the clear."

"Can you tell the difference?" Shino asked.

"Not unless it is split open, and there were only three or four, all on the edge of the village. From what I can remember, it's not enough."

"Even so, it's a start. We weill you start with eating those before setting off the alarm, in that single second every winged creature I have in my possession will be set free to feed. It will leave me with none to defend myself, but I could probably take out two dozen single level webs. If I had the substance the red tipped nightshade shed during the mating seasons, I could make a burning substance that can destroy even those webs."

Shino and his cousin shared a look. The cousin was the one that spoke first. "I have a mother that can probably help you with that, but you'll have to do it fast, since more webs are going up by the hour. At this rate we will have to strike in the next 23 hours or abandon all hope."

Sakra nodded, her expression grim as she bent down in a bow to the two men who were extending their aid. "Thank you Aburame san, and Shino san. I will forever be in your debt," she whispered. Lifting her head and coming out of the bow, her abdomen shook in a spasm a bit causing her to winced in pain. Kakashi's deadly lighting attach would forever leave this body of hers injured a bit, it seemed. Maybe with therapy she would fare better, but she doubted she would ever be as good as she once was.

"Are you well Sakura san? Maybe we should put it off a few more hours-"

"No Shino san! No, it's now or never. We have to do it tonight or else I'll never be able to live this down. I can't stand seeing her like that-living like me. It makes my insides churn so violently I become sick. I can't...."

"Then it's a good thing I'm called in help."

Sakura looked at her friend with a puzzled expression before the chakra that flared behind her. Sand shifted beneath her feet as she turned to face the figure who stood four feet away with a relieved smile on his face.

"It's good to see you back Sakura chan," Gaara whispered in a tired voice.

"Gaara kun!" Sakura exclaimed, taking a steep towards him with her arms outstretched only to stop a foot away. She froze, remembering the venom in her skin and let her hands fall dead to her sides. "It's good to see you too."

Gaara frowned when she chose not to hug him, fearing it had something to do with him personally. "Is there something I did that offended you," he asked quietly.

Sakura smiled sadly and shook her head. "It's not you, Gaara, it's me. My skin is poisoned and even limited contact with another human is dangerous. I would need to put on a jacket or something if you wanted a hug," she said, motioning to her tank top and shorts that she had been using like sweats.

Gaara blinked in surprise. "When did that happen?"

"When I made the contract with the white moth queen and her kind."

"And that was when?"

Sakura laughed out loud, smiling brightly. She felt so much better talking to Gaara as herself. She had though she would have to give up these kind of conversations since everyone she knew pretty much hated her. "A long time ago. It doesn't matter now. I'll get a jacket, you need your hug."

Gaara crossed his arms over his chest and faked a pout. "Hurry up with that, would you? I don't like to be kept waiting." Sakura nodded, turning and heading toward the house she was staying at. Once she was out of sight, Gaara's turned towards Shino with a deadly glare in his eyes. "She was hurt badly. _Who was it._"

"A few of them, actually."

"_Who_?"

Shino gulped at the demonic note in his voice. "The largest wound was dealt be Kakashi, physically."

"I'll kill him," was all Gaara could manage to say, death in his voice. He looked like he was possessed by something in the way he imagined her teacher's head under his hands. His sand was curling and crawling up at nothing as if it wanted to do some damage as well.

Shio gulped, straight faced as always before interrupting Gaara's bloody fantasies. "But....mentally she's having a hard time coping with all her friends hating her. I don't think the wounds hurt as much as having her friends turn around and hate her like that."

"I'm glad I was able to track her by chakra, or else I would have relied on my eyes. But I don't think I would be deceived so wholeheartedly. It makes me sick to see how much they have hurt her. Even if they do wake up from this daze, I'll never forgive them."

The bug lover nodded, seeing Sakura through the window come closer to the door. "They deserve it. We will mobilize at twilight and you and your team will need to provide defense while our own are working on dismantling the illusions. Are you ready?"

Sakura hopped out the door, an oversized jacked handing over her pale form as she skipped towards Gaara and gave him an extra big bear hug. Gaara hugged her back, the swirling sand around him calming down at an incredible rate. He seemed to be the essence of calm in her arms. Looking over her shoulder he locked eyes with the Aburame male.

"I'm always ready for Sakura chan."

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The sun was nothing more than a sliver of yellow gold on the horizon. Shino and a few of his relatives had pulled enough strings to get team Guy and team Ten out of the way with minor missions and training routines outside the village. Actually, Guy only needed to be shown a fake team challenge poster that required a four man team for various activities. The title had something to do with YOUTH sealing the deal for the green clad man.

Sakura rested on a branch dressed in a full body suite the color of night with tall gray boots and a hooded cloak to conceal her face. She checked the thick gray belt at her waist and was relieved to see she was adequately prepared with enough knives, kuni, senbon, and throwing stars-all dipped in paralyzing poison.

She looked up to see on of her moths come away from a devoured web, a bit fuller that it had been at first. Thankfully, moths were good eaters when it came to objects other than smaller insects. There were two more webs to go down before the attack would be launched. The fake Sakura was at a bar, drinking with her friends. Her team was hoping that they would come out so drunk they would only be able to provide a poor resistance to the attack. God knows that Naruto had no tolerance for a bit of beer.

Another light on her belt went out, telling her there was only one more web that needed dealing with. Now in the middle of the street she grounded herself, bracing her legs for the overflow of bodies that would come from her own.

The last light went out.

Over a hundred different moths sprang from her bleeding lip and out of her hair, wings slightly folded to gain speed. The fastest ones raced towards the webs farthest away while the slower ones settled on the ones close by.

"Ga," she breathed in a trance like state, summoning the moths out of the blood she had dropped in front of the webs over a mile away. They sprang up on command and began devouring the spider invested webs adding to the already increasing number of winged allies. Looking up she could see swarms of insects racing towards their designation. They were smaller than her moths, but there were a great many.

Gaara shifted behind her, throwing up his sand shield around her knees, ready to lift it up the rest of the way if the need arose. He looked ready for a fight, as did his sister and brother who stood a ways away to guard a few of the other Aburame clan members. Their old teacher Banki was even present to watch over the Kazekage and his objective. He wasn't in favor of getting his hands dirty with leaf squabble, but was willing to follow Gaara's lead.

It was a good three minuets before the first signs of a struggle sprouted out. The kuni came first, as always. Gaara easily blocked them.

"Gaara, get away from that trash!" Naruto screamed, red in the face, stumbling a bit as he walked. Poor guy looked like he was really trying to stay sober. "H-he's hurting Sakura chan!"

Gaara's eyes were like frozen steel as he glared at Naruto. "Not even for you, Naruto, will I leave her side. You who have hurt Sakura so much does not have the right to speak to me in such a manner."

"Sakura chan is hurt, baka!" he screamed falling to his knees with one hand out. He couldn't even stand anymore. Good.

"Just a little more-ugh, o-only a few more... The ones at the hospital have monster spiders in them and are putting up a fight. I might have to go there and fight them," Sakura whispered over her shoulder to Gaara.

"I'll take you there, you keep focused," Gaara offered, wrapping a hand around her waist and bringing his sand up to cover them both, leaving a sobbing drunk Naruto behind. When the sand fell down, Sakura saw her fake on the steeps of the hospital, crying and sobbing as she hugged her body. She looked to be in pain, but Sakura knew this was fake. Sai was gone and only Kiba and Kakashi were left behind while Hinata hovered over Sakura with a healing light.

Sakura had less than a two seconds to blink before Kiba was up and running towards her with his fang over fang attack. Gaara was quick to throw up a wall of sand that sent the dog lover and his pup backwards. Kakashi picked up the fake and carried her out of the way, saving her from being flattened by the rejected males. Tsuchigumo reached up and weakly pulled at Kakashi's jacket, asking him to keep her close to the hospital. If she left the general area her illusion would break.

"Where are the spiders?" Sakura asked in a weak voice, looking around with eyes the color of green. "Where are the guardians?"

Hissing from overhead drew her gaze upward where a swarm of her moths and other bugs gathered. It looked like they were trying to get to something but were being held back. There was nothing Sakura could see right away, so she decided to bring up her arthropod like sight. Her eyes faded from green to gray to, finally, a black ice color, void of any other shade including white. Her moth like eyes fixed on that spot and she was finally able to see what was wrong. The spiders and the webs themselves were invisible to someone that wasn't bound in contract to the insects like she was.

"I can see it, now. There are two of the large brutes. The second looks to be a copy of the first. I am familiar with this method. If we strike on down two more will rise up in its place. I have to somehow lure it onto a chakra sucking seal," she said to Gaara while pulling out the necessary pieces of paper from inside her shirt. "Can you get me up there."

Gaara looked back at her shivering form, noticing the strain her body was already being put through She needed chakra to keep all her moths in the physical world and even though it wasn't barely a measurable amount, to summon so many was taking its toll on her already weakened body. The last time her teacher had run her through with his lightning attack had left it's scar, crippling her in a way for life. maybe if she had been given proper medical treatment it wouldn't be this bad. But no, the head medic was swayed into this illusion just as well.

He didn't want her to be doing anything more than she already was, but her heart was so infused to her team and place in life she would rather die that see it stolen. In a odd way she reminded him of a spoiled child who didn't play with her toys until someone else started playing with them. Still, considering her circumstances, he couldn't blame her. "All right, but it will be harder to defend you that way."

As sand wrapped around her legs and lifted her up she replied in a wavering voice, blood still dripping from her lips oddly. "I don't care, this is the last web. We're lucky she's faking instead of putting up more webs." By the time she was finished speaking, she was already on the ledge where the webs were holding. One of the spiders made a jump for her, and Gaara pushed it back with his sand, choosing not to crush it.

Sakura set the tags down just in time for one of the two (the one who hadn't lunged at Gaara) to be caught up in it. It hisses like a banshee, writhing in agony as it's body collapsed in on its self, becoming nothing more than a shriveled pile of black and red. The other one, most likely the original, was not foolish enough to fall on the tag she had set down, so she attacked it to a kuni and asked Gaara to throw it for her. Her own arms were too heavy to do much more and her eyesight was fading in and out. Still, she could see the concerned look on her friend's face when she asked him to do that for her. She was be disappointed in herself later after all of this was over. She was too close to let pride get in the way now.

Gaara threw the weapon and soon the monster was dead, opening up a way for the moths and bugs. That was it, they had won! she was close to passing out from chakra depleation but they had won! Nothing else mattered now. Soon things would be back to the way they were. Soon she could be Sakura again without having to hide her face. She wouldn't have to run from her friends or avoid their attacks on her life.

Sakura could already feel the effects of the illusion falling apart as Gaara carried her down to the ground where a injured kiba was being held back by a bleeding- though still fiery- Temari. "Hey guys, nice to see you made it."

"Tamari!" Sakura called out seeing to woman's opened arm. "What happened?"

"Dog breath over here got a bit too full of himself," she replied with a tough girl tone of voice, never being one to back down.

Gaara crossed over to her side and took a look at her arm. "This isn't too bad. You bleed too much, you hot blooded woman."

Temari tossed her head back and laughed, turning towards Sakura with a mirthful smile. "I hope you weren't too-" she paused and her eyes widened and Sakura could have sworn she heard her friend gasp. "-Sakura look out!"

"Rasengan!"

KAAAHKH

Something tore through her chest, slicing clean through. Blood jumped everywhere and her heart staggered in protest before slowing down. Everything faded into a dull-slowed sort of way as her left leg gave out, right before her right, causing her to turn and fall facing her attacker. Her hood slipped back and her airy pink hair danced around her face as she fell to the ground. For the first time Naruto saw her without the illusion to distort his image. Sakura looked him square in the eyes, her own a soft green color once more, before her body collided with the ground. She had never seen him so scared in his entire life.

bump...

'Shouldn't he be thinking this is a trick?'

bump....

'Any enemy ninja could do that.'

bump.....

'But then again, they can't hold up an illusion when they are injured this badly.'

bump......

'Ah look, there's Kakashi, and he doesn't look happy either.'

bump.......

'He has here in chain I see.'

bump..........

'Now I can't see...........

.....................................

Sakura's heart stopped then, leaving her body bloodied and broken. Gaara cradled her in his arms and wouldn't let anyone near her body, even after a whole hour had passes. His sister and brother had never seen him cry like that.

Shino was in better condition, though he was still a bit bitter towards her teammates as he explained the whole plot in detail, never failing to leave out how much Sakura was hurt by them. She must have secretly been a masochistic or something, since she kept coming back to them even after they caused her so much pain.

Team Guy and team Ten came back to find the village preparing for a funeral. They wouldn't believe Sakura had died at first, and had to be shown the body. Shikamaru was silent during the viewing, his whole body had gone cold once he had met her lifeless eyes. Nothing could have prepared him for that. Neji almost lost it a bit. He got mad at the mortician and demanded that he bring the real Sakura out, because there was no way she would be dead after just seeing a few days ago. He had to be escorted out by ANBU.

It was raining when her funeral took place. Everyone seemed to be there, leaving things by her casket and whispering apologies. It seemed like everyone had something to say to her or to apologize for. Poor Naruto looked like he would never live it down. The trauma of killing his best friend in an attempt to protect her was really messing with his head. Everyone said she wouldn't blame him, but he couldn't help but loop this whole mess back to the beginning when he doubted her strength.

Kakashi didn't go to her funeral, but he did visit the memorial stone where her name had been added. Everyone said he dealt with it the best, but that was only because they didn't know him. His face never changed, but inside he was fighting with his emotions and screaming at idiocy. He should have seen it, he should have known. Likewise, Sai appeared to be taking it all in well. He didn't smile at the funeral, though. For some reason he couldn't get himself to fake that smile in so somber a place. Instead he cried. He cried when no one was looking and cursed himself for letting another close person die.

No one saw.

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DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPOILERS!

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

I was going to be really mean, and keep this till Sakura's birthday, but I think I'm mean enough with this chapter, no? Yes, Sakura is dead, but no, this is not the end of the story. Life is filled with enough shit as it is, so I believe stories and fiction should be an escape to that. A little angst here and there is fine, but I like happy! So, like in my other story 'A forest's forbidden love' I'll add a little spas for the last chapter and make it all happy for you.

Oh yeah, and

**PLEASE _REVIEW_**!

REVIEW!

Ja ne


	13. Moth

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Chapter Thirteen

My Happy Ending

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**"Moth"**

Thought I was different and it seems I'm just the same  
As a game I put my hand over the flame  
I thought I was smarter as I flew into the sun  
But it turned out the way it does with everyone

Oh, oh  
I don't fly around your fire anymore  
I don't fly around your fire anymore  
Burnin', fallin' down so many times before  
I don't fly around your fire anymore

I love the heat I love the things that I forgot  
I love the strings that tie me down and cut me off  
I was a king, I was a moth with painted wings made of cloth  
When did the flame burn so high and get so hot?

Oh, oh  
I don't fly around your fire anymore  
I don't fly around your fire anymore  
Burnin', fallin' down so many times before  
I don't fly around, fly around  
Fly around

I don't fly around your fire anymore  
I don't fly around your fire anymore  
Burnin', fallin' down so many times before  
I won't fly around, fly around

I won't fly around your fire anymore  
I don't fly around your fire anymore  
Burnin', fallin' down so many times before  
I don't fly around, fly around  
Oh  
Fly around, oh

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It was well past midnight when he bolted out of bed, sweeting heavily thanks to that nightmare of a dream. She was haunting him it seemed like, but it was not an unwelcome haunting. He was only disappointed he had to wake up. Even if there were monsters all around, he couldn't help but feel happy to see her, with her eyes so full of life. God he wished she was still alive.

Slipping out of bed, he stepped into a pair of old jeans and headed outside with only a white tank to keep the cold at bay. When he had dreams like these he needed to go out and see her grave or visit her name on the memorial stone.

The village was dead as he wandered the streets-the crescent moon on his back. No one was awake at this hour unless they were on patrol.

It was better this way, he believed. No one was around to give him stares full of pity or stop to talk to him with soft words that meant nothing. Unless they were Sakura, he would rather remain alone for the rest of his days.

Coming up upon her grave a silence seemed to seize up the night. He stopped in his tracks and gasped at the sight before him. the ground was split open and there was dirt everywhere, as if something in the earth had exploded. But that wasn't what made him shake and gape like a three year old.

No, it was the pure white form the stood three feet away from him-dripping wet in a saliva like liquid the color green. She turned to him, unashamed of her nakedness and smiled a smile that made his heart sore through his chest. She looked even more beautifle then he remembered her.

"I'm so glad you came," she breathed softly as whatever it was that was wet and clinging to he,r fell away to pool at her delicately shaped ankles.

"S-s-Sakura?"

Her lips pated to show her teeth as she grinned and her eyes seemed to dance as they glowed a light shade of apple green. "My metamorphosis is finally complete," she said in a voice that seemed to belong to a queen. "I am finally born truly into this family."

This seemed to good to be true, he though as he watched her with unblinking eyes. He felt such joy in that moment, but also fear. Fear for this being nothing more than another dream. "But you were dead! I saw them put you in the ground. You wouldn't open your eyes and you were gone!"

"You are correct, I did die, or that body died at least. That thing was nothing more than a shell to me." She paused and coxed her head to the side, letting her long pinkish white hair fall over her shoulders and cover her breasts in a semi modest way. "I will understand if you choose to not believe in me, heaven knows I have experienced it enough."

"No! I'll never turn you away! I'm never letting you out of my damn sight,"he replied, coming up to her and throwing his arms around her. "I'll never let you go."

She smiled, wrapping her own arms around him. "Good, because it's only you who I'll let hold me forever."

"What about all the other guys and the village?" he asked, burying his face into her hair, inhaling the scent of pine and vanilla. She smelled like the forest.

Sakura remained silent for a while before finally speaking up to answer his question. "I'll come back of course, but not just yet. Maybe in a week or so, I want to hog you all to myself for a while before saving everyone from their grief."

He paused, before pulling away just enough to see her face. "But why me?"

"Are?" she asked, blinking innocently.

"Why me? Why did you choose me and only me? What is it you see in me that merits such attention? Not that I am complaining or anything, but I'm curious."

She smiled softly, understanding what he meant. She had never been this open with her feelings before, thanks to her pride, but now that was nothing more than a thing of the past. She could be free with these feelings and follow them without shame. "Silly, it's because I love you," she answered before reaching up to kiss him full on the lips.

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There you are, your happy ending! It's short, but still sweet.

Her poison is gone so she can hug anyone without having to put a shirt on and she's a whole lot stronger. The mysterious guy at the end who I failed to name? That is up to you to decide my lovely readers. I could be anyone from Shino to Kabuto to...Naruto. You pick, I'm done with this baby.

I know this is the end but pleas, please, please, **_REVIEW_** for the love of pocky **_REVIEW_**!


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